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Getting Graphic: A New Take on the Classic Gothic Novel
World Goth Day is celebrated annually in May. This day can be described, according to World Goth Day’s website, as, "a day where the goth scene gets to celebrate its own being, and an opportunity to make its presence known to the rest of the world." This day was...
This is the Blog About Death: Celebrating World Goth Day with Gothic Literature
Since 2009, May 22 is World Goth Day. According to the website, the holiday is “a day where the goth scene gets to celebrate its own being, and an opportunity to make its presence known to the rest of the world." For those of us who haven’t been in a high school...
Gothic Literature: Publishing the Eerie and Macabre
Halloween isn’t the sole occasion for spooky tales that send shivers down your spine. If you’re a fan of horror like me, you'll enjoy a chilling novel any day, whether it's the witching hour or not. Have you heard about indie publishers dedicated to all things dark...
A Crash Course on the Public Domain Care of Mickey Mouse
After 95 years of perhaps the strictest copyright protection this side of bulletproof glass, Mickey Mouse is now entering the public domain – sort of. The original “Steamboat Willy” version of Walt Disney’s crown jewel of intellectual property officially enters the...
Closing the Gap, One Step at a Time
February 11, 2024 marks the ninth annual U.N. General Assembly’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science. Now, more than ever, girls’ horizons are expanding, allowing them to make their marks in fields in which they have historically been underrepresented....
Lighting the Fire!! The Harlem Renaissance’s Queer Publication
The Harlem Renaissance was “surely as gay as it was black.” As we bring in 2024’s celebration of Black History month, it feels only right to shine a light on the voices that have been deliberately lost to time. In 1920, the world witnessed the inspired boom of art,...
Is SkyNet Taking Over? AI-Generated Articles Are Popping Up Left and Right
Yes, it’s hyperbolic to say that the machines are truly taking over as James Cameron predicted almost 40 years ago in The Terminator, but everyday seems to bring more and more news stories about AI infiltrating another industry. Publishing is not immune to this...
How to Organize an Author Event as an Independent Author
After your book is written, your hope as an author is for your work to reach interested readers and grow a fan base. But how do you establish connections and locate those readers? One effective approach is to arrange events such as live readings and panel discussions....
The Dos and Don’ts of Writing a Prologue
Writing a prologue can be difficult and intimidating. A prologue—the short opening section of a story—may be the first thing you read when picking up a novel. Consequently, some writers are afraid of giving away too much plot information, or of not enticing the reader...
Step-by-Step Process to Self-Publishing a Book for First Time Authors
Writing and self-publishing a book can seem like a daunting task but involves several key steps. Here's a general overview of the process: 1. Idea and Planning: - Develop a clear idea for your book and determine its genre, target audience, and unique selling points. -...
Marketing Your Self-Published Book to Increase Sales
Marketing is an important aspect of selling your self-published book. Here are some tips to help you effectively market your book and increase sales: Build an online presence: Create an author website or blog where readers can learn more about you and your book. Use...
Going Digital
The current COVID-19 pandemic underscores the importance of having seamless remote working methods whenever in-person contact is not a feasible option. But an international crisis isn’t the only reason to go digital. Authors and editors might have a whole host of other reasons for it: lack of childcare; inability to travel due to medical complications; an...
Coping with Covid-19: Technica Editorial Moves to the Virtual Office
The impact of COVID-19 has reached deeply into all of our lives and as the business owners of Technica Editorial, Jack and I have grappled with work-from-home plans as well as making sure all of our employees are able to create a clear, focused workspace. We've been fortunate to have had many of the technologies in place already, so the switch to remote...
Get to Know the Technica Staff: Grace Taylor
Each month, we will interview one employee to get their opinions on the publishing industry, hear what it’s like to work at Technica, and learn a little bit about them. This month we are interviewing Grace Taylor, a Miami, FL native and proud NC State Wolfpack alumna who came to Technica in August of 2019. What drew you to working in the publishing...
The Importance of a Well-Crafted Illustration and How to Make Them
At the confluence of art and science is scientific illustration. Scientific illustrations provide a window into the world of science that is not typically accessible to laypeople. The impact of a well-done illustration cannot be overstated. Above: Classic examples of scientific illustrations that also inform the general public include Da Vinci’s 1510–1512...
Get to Know the Technica Staff – Deana Rodriguez
Each month, we will interview one employee to get their opinions on the publishing industry, hear what it’s like to work at Technica, and learn a little bit about them. This month we are interviewing Deana Rodriguez, a Long Beach, California native who consults remotely and has been a managing editor for peer-reviewed journals for more than 25 years. She...
Marketing Your Journal Through Social Media
As an increasing number of millennials join the community of researchers and authors, journals need to adjust their marketing strategies accordingly, which includes a heavy focus on social media. But social media marketing, with all of its nuances, can be pretty intimidating. So…where to start? Define the purpose of social media for your journal. The most...
Get to Know the Technica Staff: Sara Terrell
Each month, we will interview one employee to get their opinions on the publishing industry, hear what it’s like to work at Technica, and learn a little bit about them. This month we are interviewing Sara Terrell, one of our Assistant Editors and proud Carrboro townie. What drew you to working in the publishing industry? I was drawn to books first, as I...
Disruptions in Scholarly Publishing: A Recap of the SSP Seminar
The Society for Scholarly Publishing (SSP) Seminar, New Directions in Scholarly Publishing Models, focused on current and upcoming transitions and disruptions in the publishing industry. The ongoing transition to open access (OA) has spurred alternative paths to publication, from preprints to open and community peer review. With publishers looking for new...
“Why Was My Text Changed?”: An Editor Addresses a Common Author Concern
Authors often ask copy editors, “Why was my text changed?” There may be other related questions, like “I prefer British spellings” or “I don’t want items put in a bulleted list, I like numbered lists.” These authors are running up against “house style” and, unfortunately, must accept the changes. House style is established by publishers so that their books...