Design, Ooligan Press

Analyzing Trends in Queer Romance Cover Designs

“Last year, my voracious appetite was awakened as I realized what kinds of characters and storylines I was craving, and it was not sated—not by a long shot—as there are not nearly the number of romances featuring transmasculine protagonists as my heart strains to read. The market has yet to catch up, and I am excited to see it do so, but in the meantime, here are some of my favorite queer reads of last year and four trends in book cover design I have noticed across them in my quest to read as many queer romances as I can find.”

Giving Design Feedback

Design feedback can be tricky for the inexperienced. Even if you’ve been giving design feedback for years, it can be hard to express the feelings you have about a piece without discouraging your colleagues—or to put into words intuitive or feeling-based critique.

Being in the Know about InDesign

From covers to interiors to collateral, InDesign is great for book designers, especially because it is a publishing industry standard. However, learning InDesign can be quite a task, especially if you are new to the industry. Here are some helpful InDesign tips that I have learned during my time at Ooligan Press.

The Importance of Neutral Colors in Graphic Design: a Process Reflection

“In most of our lives, for most of our days—especially here in the rainy, gray Pacific Northwest—we are surrounded by neutral shades. These are important. They make up most of our color landscape. So why shouldn’t they make up more of our compositions as designers?”

The Journey to Our First Graphic Novel

Alexandra Devon
December 2, 2024
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Design / Inside Ooligan / Manager Monday / Publishing
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In order for us to perform our proofreading, Isaac had to teach us these industry standards which opened up many students’ eyes to the complexity of comics. Who knew the letter I could cause so many problems?

Tips for Design When You Aren’t a Designer

It’s important to be well-rounded in the industry, so—through trial and error—I have gained knowledge that has helped me become a designer when I have never been one before! Through my few short months of being at Ooligan Press, I have learned some tips and tricks that have helped me become a better designer.

Sensational Reading: Judging a Book by Its Color

Think of book design like giving a gift. The wrapping paper or gift bag you use to conceal the contents will affect how excited the person receiving the gift will be to discover what is inside. These visual influences are psychologically conditioned in our brains from early childhood that either draw us towards what we typically like or alert us to avoid the undesirable.

How Digital Media is Changing Book Covers

Have you recently gone to a bookstore and noticed the majority of the books displayed in the front all resemble similar book cover designs? These clone-like copies are actually very purposeful and mark a new age of book cover designs.

Ooligan’s Archive: The Hidden Final Step of Publishing a Book

Our project teams, managers, and department leads have spent the last 12-24 months shepherding your book through all the critical processes necessary to turn a manuscript into the product readers pick up off the shelf. The book has been edited, proofread, designed, marketed, posted about on social media, and submitted for awards. What could possibly be left? Welcome to the hidden final step of publishing a book: the archive!

INSIDE OOLIGAN How We Publish Books (11)

Creating a Book Branding Design Guide: Why and How

At Ooligan, everyone is a designer, editor, proofreader, marketer, and publicity specialist. So our efforts, while always noble, are not always cohesive and streamlined.

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Tags: Design