Each year brings with it a brand new crop of books, and, if you’re anything like me, you love to find new things to read. But where do you start? Whatever you’re searching for, look no further. I’m excited to recommend your next possible fantasy read.
Marketing is an intersectional endeavor. As publishing professionals, we need to talk to our editors and acquisition teams about the kind of content we are publishing, we need to talk to the artists who are creating covers for our books, and we need to combine all of these elements together when we create our copy and really ask ourselves if what we are doing is an accurate representation of the work we are putting out.
Agents are more interested in what you as a person bring to the table and to the publishing industry. As an author, if you can’t relate to your readership or appeal to them or potential agents, they won’t be interested in what you’ve written. Relying solely on your writing without acquiring marketable skills as a person won’t get you very far; give them something to root for, something that makes you stand out alongside your competitors and other authors. Choosing to put in the effort to become a better writer will always get you further than just expecting to get published right away.
The line between imagination and reality blurs in these forty poignant pieces written by first- and second-generation immigrant authors.
With the accessibility of Twitter and TikTok, are book blogs even worth considering as a platform for promoting books?
At first glance, branding may not seem integral to book publishing. Readers are not likely to base their decision to buy a book on the publisher’s brand, but among publishing professionals, establishing a personal brand for yourself is crucial. Potential collaborators will want to know who you are, what you value, your level of expertise in relevant fields, and how to connect with you. You can control what they see by branding yourself online and within the industry according to how you want to be perceived.
I never thought very much about all the decisions involved with turning a book into a manuscript, beyond recognizing that at some point someone had to design the cover. Things such as font choices, trim sizes, paper weights, etc., were all decisions that I blindly consumed as a reader without realizing all of the blood, sweat, and tears that went into making them. Then I joined the Ooligan team, and suddenly I got to play a part in making all of these decisions! That’s when I began garnering an understanding—and appreciation—for the beautiful beast that is the book design process. Now that I’ve stepped into my role as the manager for Ooligan’s design department, I’m learning so much more about all that goes into designing a book.
Whether you’re a graduate student in a publishing program, an editorial assistant at a Big Five press, or an intern at a boutique literary agency, we are all expected to accommodate hours of unpaid labor, even to the detriment of our mental health. The proverbial hamster wheel that is publishing truly never stops spinning, and it’s often the most marginalized publishing professionals who reach their breaking point first.
Booksellers, who can see hundreds of books on a daily basis, are especially susceptible to pretty books and the urge to take them home. As a former bookseller, I can testify that prettiness does create more goodwill toward a book—and makes it more likely that a reader will stop and read the synopsis. The following list is a roundup of book cover embellishments that excite booksellers (and one that doesn’t).
We are all well aware that the pandemic has affected all sectors and everyone’s lives in unprecedented ways. Despite the fact that cuddling up with a good book is a quarantine go-to for many, the publishing industry as a whole has had to scramble to adapt to changes brought about because of the pandemic. Here are some of the major ways that the publishing industry has grappled with these changes, as well as some questions about our uncertain future as we struggle to return to normalcy.