queer, 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.”

Bookstore Communities Part 2: Bookstores as Havens for Marginalized Identities

Historically, bookstore communities have risen spectacularly to the occasion in times of crisis, and they continue to do so. This is especially true in bookstores that focus on specific minority identities, such as the Black and queer communities. These communities have faced, and continue to confront, threats from a prejudiced world that targets them.

Here & Queer (Coded): The Importance of Using LGBTQ+ BISAC Codes

Until publishers adapt to the usage of queer BISAC codes, we will never be able to measure the true extent of queer literature’s popularity, which is not only detrimental to accurate sales analysis, but also to the queer community itself. Queer literature has long existed in the margins—published only by independent presses, relegated to “special interest” bookstores, and so on. But with the genre’s significant and longstanding popularity, as well as its movement into the general public’s eye, there is no reason for it to remain on the sidelines.

Five Indie Comic Book Presses That You Need to Follow

Here’s a tip for our fellow BIPOC and queer book lovers: indie presses are where it’s at! There are so many amazing Black and queer comic book creators whose stories many people have not heard of before, and you’re in luck, because we’ve rounded a few up for you in this blog.

What Happens When a Book is Banned?

As a kid, I remember asking a librarian to show me where I could find “books about magic”… I remember the horror—and slight amusement—on the librarian’s face as she turned to my dad and I and proclaimed, “Oh, we don’t have those here. Those types of books are banned.”

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Queer Book Labels: Are They Helping or Hurting Sales?

According to NPD Bookscan, it seems that being an LGBTQ+ book is a good thing right now, at least for sales. But what if, in some ways, those same labels are losing sales as well?

5 LGBTQ+ Romances by Oregon Authors to Read This Winter

There’s no better way to beat the dreary Oregon winter than to turn on the heat. A great way to do that is to add a little spice to your reading pile with a deeply engrossing romance. Here are a few LGBTQ+ romances to warm you from inside out, written by local Oregon authors who haven’t seen the sun this winter just as much as you, so they know how it feels.

Double-edged Sword: The Erasure, or Harmful Portrayal, of Bisexuality

Where there is no general sexual frivolity in a bisexual character, there may instead be the assertion of “confusion.” This is particularly true in cases where the audience is led to believe (not know, as this usually happens through suggestion instead of saying the words out loud, which is a whole other issue in and of itself) that a character is bisexual, but they tend to end up with the opposite gender. While this is fine in theory, the issue we’re faced with is the perpetuation of the stereotype that bisexuals are just “confused” or “experimenting,” and that when they settle down, they will inevitably choose a “straight” relationship.

Tags: queer