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Tips for Writing a Romantasy
Romantasy is a fiction genre that has recently been growing in popularity, particularly on Booktok (the book subsection of the TikTok social media app). But what is this genre, and how can you write a romantasy book that might become a best-seller? Romantasy — a...
Stories that Stick, by Kindra Hall
Writers, if you’re like me, then you probably love devouring books that can help you navigate the complicated world of publishing. It’s exciting to announce, then, that Technica Editorial is starting a new book review series to share some of the standout books that...
Fact, Fiction, and Form: The Art and Creation of Memoirs
To begin creating a memoir, writers must learn how to express their reality in an artistic format. Defining a memoir is the first step in this style’s creative nonfiction writing process. When trying to create a personal portrait reported in unshaped facts and...
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...
Can Lay Summaries Help Expand the Audience for Scholarly Journals?
Scholarly publishing has undergone many evolutions, but heavy technical writing and detail have always been some of the major defining differences between scholarly journals and trade publications. While both trade and scholarly publications tend to be...
Quality, Not Quantity
Most young authors—including, but not limited to, authors of scientific and scholarly articles—have one main goal in mind: Get published as much as possible. But this way of thinking is just not always helpful for someone who is looking to establish a favorable...
Technica Attends the 18th Annual Bookmarks Festival
Early on September 23, Andy Hill, Claire Lee, and I headed to Winston-Salem for the 18th annual Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors on behalf of Technica. Bookmarks, a literary arts nonprofit, was established in 2004 in tandem with the annual Bookmarks Festival of...
Right to Read: Intellectual Freedom Panel Discussion
On Sunday, October 1, 2023, I attended the Chapel Hill Public Library’s “Right to Read: Intellectual Freedom Panel Discussion” in honor of Banned Book Week. Aside from the discussion, I also enjoyed the free snacks, a free copy of Raina Telgemeier’s Drama courtesy of...
Resume-Building and Networking Tips When Looking for a Career in Publishing
Having a pristine resume has long been considered a critical element for any jobseeker, but it is perhaps even more crucial when looking for a job in the publishing field. Publishing is a field where typographical and/or grammatical errors can literally put you out of business—and if these kinds of mistakes show up on your resume, that’s a glaring red flag...
Women Strive to Break the Glass Ceiling of Publishing
According to a 2016 Guardian article, 78% of staff working at 34 major book publishers and 8 peer-reviewed journals were female. Founded in 1979, the Women in Publishing group, based in London, works to build women’s careers and networking abilities, while also fostering personal development. The group determined that even though publishing jobs are...
What Publishers Should Know About Image Manipulation
Image tweaks are common in the realm of scientific journals — but when do authors cross the line between the acceptable and the fraudulent? During the 2019 ISMTE North American Conference (in Durham, NC), two experts shared their insights on what constitutes legitimate use of image alteration to beautify graphics in scientific work and what constitutes...
ISMTE Recap: Text Recycling and Self-Plagiarism in Academic Publishing
On March 1, 2019, ISMTE held a meeting hosted by Research Square in Durham, NC, led by Cary Moskovitz speaking on the topic, “Text Recycling and Self-Plagiarism: Findings from an NSF-Sponsored Study and Implications for Journal Offices.” Moskovitz, a member of the Thompson Writing program at Duke University, shared data gathered from the five-year study...
Helping Small Publishers and University Presses Prepare for Plan S
Many of the clients we here at Technica Editorial currently work alongside are, in the grand scheme, smaller publishers, including societies and university presses. One fear of Plan S is that smaller outfits will have a difficult time with compliance, especially those in the humanities and social sciences. We are always looking for ways we can serve our...
Technica Editorial Celebrates Pride Month!
June is nationally recognized as Pride month in the U.S., with celebrations taking place across the country in the form of parades, marches, and vigils. June was chosen in honor of the Stonewall Riots, which took place on June 28th, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn in Greenwich Village, NY. The Stonewall Riots are seen by many historians as the beginning of the...
What Plan S Means for Scholarly Publishing
Plan S is an open access publishing initiative developed by 11 EU national funding bodies in September 2018. The plan is supported by cOAlition S, an international consortium of research funders. Plan S requires that, from 2020, scientific publications that result from research funded by public grants must be published in compliant open access journals or...
An Author’s Introduction to Cover Letters: How to Submit and Sell Your Manuscript
The complexity of the peer review process creates many opportunities for avoidable delays. From my experience working with publishers, the cover letter is one of the most frequent offenders when it comes to unnecessary wait times. If contributors understand the purpose of a cover letter, publishers can improve the author experience by streamlining the peer...
Get to Know the Technica Staff: Tracey Glazener
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 Tracey Glazener, nicknamed the nerd whisperer at her previous job. An NC native and an avid Tar Heel fan, Tracey came to Technica in May of 2017. How did you...
Technica Editorial Celebrates Black History Month
[Left to right: Karamo Brown, Elizabeth Acevedo, Toni Morrison, Amiri Baraka; image created by Hayley Nestor] In honor of Black History month, Technica Editorial recognizes Black writers who have left an indelible impact on American art, culture, and literature. Here are just a few men and women who helped (and continue to) pave the way in writing, civil...