Write to Publish 2012: Step into Genre with Ooligan Press

Recently I have had a couple of conversations that made me feel how badly I have neglected my blog. I cannot do much about it at this moment, as I have three projects over my head. However, I would like to take this opportunity to mention Write to Publish, an exciting publishing conference from Ooligan Press, held at Portland State University this Saturday, April 28 (all the info is there on the website). Several panels are offered, which provide a wealth of information on the publishing process. Also, $10 gains admission to the author stage, which runs from 9 am to 6 pm. Lilith Saintcrow, at 4:30, totally rocked the 2010 Write to Publish, so it’s great to see her back.

So if you’re in Portland this weekend, get yourself to Write to Publish. It’s good times, it’s book times, and proceeds support Ooligan Press and the Publishing Program at PSU.

Ooligan in Publishers Weekly

Our plight affects the larger sphere of book publishing. Read this short article in Publishers Weekly to learn more about how my beloved graduate program in book publishing is at risk. Please spread the word and help write letters of support.

 

Help Spread the Word

Please help spread the word about Ooligan Press by sharing the information at the Save Ooligan website (http://ooligan.pdx.edu/?page_id=3558) with your friends, family, and network. Hey, share it with complete strangers, even! My thanks,

Karen

A Plea for Publishing

Everyone: the Publishing Program (from which I received my graduate degree) is in danger. We need your help. If you care about the literary community in Portland and beyond, visit this site and lend a hand. Please. Nothing I have ever posted on this blog is more worthwhile, important, or urgent.

Help save the Portland State University Publishing Program and Ooligan Press: http://ooligan.pdx.edu/?page_id=3558

This is just a message to get the word out. I will post updates as often as I can.

Writers, editors, and success

I’ve been thinking today of the old and odious lie that editors are failed writers. I hear this from time to time; someone once said it to my face. Anything is possible: so I imagine there could be editors out there who failed as writers. Just as easily there could be writers who failed as editors!

First of all, professional editors excel at writing. They have to know how to write in order to recognize and refine good writing. They simply (gasp!) prefer to be editors. Likewise, many writers are excellent editors. Writers of quality understand the need to edit, and they do carefully revise their work.

Second, why continue the tired campaign of pitting writers against editors? We are of the same flesh: the written word.

Finally, why imagine this one’s or that one’s failure when, clearly, so many successful and happy authors and editors dwell in the world? I know this goes against the stereotypes of the miserably creative writer and the self-righteously cranky editor but–guess what?–those are myths, too. Ok, we might have the occasional problem with earning enough to feed ourselves, but so does everyone. The point is that we like what we do, and we are good at our respective professions.

So now I am going to get back to editing a research paper about martian geology and climate. I am going to do it well, and I am going to do it with a smile on my face.

Reference Reverence

Reference lists are a marvelous study in the art of conveying information clearly. Different ingredients make up reference lists, and each ingredient needs to enter the recipe at the right time and in the right manner. Generally, these ingredients are

• author names,
• date of publication,
• title of publication,
• page number or numbers.

Other embellishments are optional—or required, depending on your taste. These include

• article or chapter title,
• abstract title,
• volume number,
• publisher,
• publisher’s city.

Each element is distinct, so it is important not only that all of them appear but that they appear in a way that sets them apart from each other. Thankfully, we have the usefulness and beauty of punctuation.

The Latest CMS Q&A

It has been a while since I visited the Chicago Manual of Style online Q&A. There are some good posts for August and July. The terms interrobang and trade publication even make appearances.

Science Journal Editing

This week I am preparing to teach a class called Science Journal Editing (WR 410/510) at Portland State University. The class is one of those super-concentrated four-week doses, starting June 21 and running into July. I am looking forward to it but anxious about it: I hope that the students learn a lot and find it satisfying.

I should say that I am co-teaching the class, along with the editor in chief and the managing editor of Astrobiology. Each of us has a valuable perspective; each understands a specific part of the publishing process. So the class will take students through from start to finish: founding a science journal, acting as editor in chief, directing the peer review process, editing for clarity and cadence, and copy editing (my specialty).

How does one teach copy editing? Well, I am about to find out. I would say that copy editing for a science journal is a very structured procedure. I need to stay on track and accomplish certain tasks; there isn’t the time to dawdle or to make things “pretty.” (There is, of course, the need for clarity, precision, and fidelity to the author’s voice—I consider these beautiful, and I strive for them.) Also, I need to accomplish these tasks for eight or more papers every month, so there is a great need for skillful project management.

I consider copy editing to be a more “technical” form of editing. (Technical isn’t quite the word I want, but I cannot think of another.) By this I mean that I concern myself with details such as abbreviations, numbers, units of measurement, variables, equations, tables, figures. Certainly I spend much time on the text; I work with words and their meaning. But I have to insert a space so 0.43nm becomes 0.43 nm. I have to italicize that T for temperature. And many other lovely little things!

Well, this is my life. By the way, there is still room in Science Journal Editing, if you would like to join our band. Science journals are exciting, enlightening, important, and fun.

It was right to publish

So, how did Write to Publish go? It went well. I spent seven hours there (10 am to 5 pm), but the time passed smoothly. I met interesting people and, as always, I am delighted by the number of folks out there who say they have always loved science.

I had a table at the Industry Mingle, and I laid it out like a science fair project, complete with an experiment. The experiment was me. In brief, I told the tale of my earning a Master of Science degree in Writing: Book Publishing and then going into a field (astrobiology) that I had never expected to enter but that I now enjoy. Yes, the Masters in Book Publishing program can take you to new and exciting realms.

I wanted to make my display interactive, so I thought of candy. But I didn’t want to give out just any old type of candy. I wanted to give out science candy. To that end, I had bowls of red hot candies, mints, and Jolly Ranchers. The candy that you choose reveals what kind of extremophile you are: red hot candies are thermophiles, mints are psychrophiles, and Jolly Ranchers are acidophiles. Acidophiles predominated, with a smaller number of psychrophiles. I encountered only one or two thermophiles. (Reflecting on all this, I realize that I should actually have taken notes so that I could present quantifiable data.)

Not to Be Missed: Write to Publish, May 22-23

Let us take some time away from AbSciCon to talk about a conference coming up next weekend: Write to Publish at Ooligan Press. This two-day conference offers writers valuable insight into the publishing process. Have you ever paused, pen (or keyboard) in hand, and wondered, “How does publishing happen? What do I need to know to have a successful publishing experience?” If you have, Write to Publish is for you.

Saturday, May 22, the conference begins with Workshop Day, wherein you may take your choice from a number of substantive workshops. Topics include writer-agent relationships, self-publishing dos and don’ts, copyright law, and online marketing. These workshops are taught by professionals in the publishing industry—you are getting the real deal. For $130, you can attend a full day of five workshops. Or you can attend single workshops for $32 each. Tickets are available from the Portland State University box office at (503) 725-3307.

Oh, and the professionals who are offering these workshops? Here are some of them:

• Vinnie Kinsella of Declaration Editing is offering the workshop on How to Polish Your Manuscript
• Brett Warnock of Top Shelf Productions and Aaron Colter of Dark Horse Comics: Graphic Novels: Publishing and Process
• Bernadette Baker-Baughman of Baker’s Mark Literary Agency: An Agent on Writer/Agent Relationships
• Bo Johnson of Bowler Hat Comics: Writers, Conventions, and the Web: A Friendship
• Ali McCart of Indigo Editing: The Dos and Don’ts of Self-Publishing

And these are just a few of the presenters. Check out the Write to Publish website for the full list.

Sunday, May 23 is Open House Day. This day packs two doses of awesomeness in the form of an Industry Mingle and an Author Stage. The mingle will be your chance to meet and chat with a diverse group of publishing professionals. For example, I will be there with my table about science editing! Check out the Industry Mingle website to see a list of the attendees.

Ursula K. Le Guin, Chuck Palahniuk, and Shannon Wheeler! These are just three of the authors who will discuss their publishing experiences on the Author Stage. For goodness’ sake, do not pass up the opportunity to hear from these seasoned writers!

Tickets for Open House Day are $10 and can be purchased at the door. What door, you ask? The door to Room 355 of the Portland State University Smith Memorial Student Union (located at 1825 Southwest Broadway in Portland). Open House runs from 10 am to 5 pm.

I am very excited for Write to Publish. But first, I need to go buy some supplies for my table. (There will be candy and science. Mars will make an appearance.) And you, readers, need to mark your calendars for a great weekend of publishing. Power to the writer!