Publishing Commons^™

Desert Desires And The War On Terror: Pre- And Post-9/11 Sheikh Romances, Leena Altamimi

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

The existence of sheikh romances as a subgenre has prevailed for well over a century in Western literature. Therefore, would one be able to discern whether the book cover imagery as well as the textual content showcases any tangible differences pre and post 9/11, and America’s “war on terror” campaign? A total of five books are observed: The Sheik by E.M. Hull published in 1919, Sarah Holland’s Desert Destiny published in 1991, Loreth Anne White’s The Sheik Who Loved Me and Penny Jordan’s Possessed by the Sheikh (both published in 2005), and lastly Crowned for the Sheikh’s Baby by Sharon …

Assessing The Accessibility Of Queer Romance Book Covers As Digital Thumbnails: An Analysis Of Color Contrast, Colorblind Safety, And Typography Legibility, Madelynn Sare

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

This research investigates the digital accessibility of queer romance book covers displayed as thumbnails online, focusing on the balance between creative freedom, genre appeal, and inclusive cover design. Using a dataset of 100 highest-rated queer romance titles from Goodreads (2020–2024), the study evaluates accessibility by examining color contrast ratios against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards, assessing colorblind safe design with Adobe Color, and measuring typography legibility through a custom-developed scale. Findings reveal that many covers fall short of WCAG color contrast requirements, yet a majority are colorblind safe, indicating that relatively minor design adjustments can significantly improve digital accessibility …

Prose By Any Other Name: Analyzing Changes To Translated Book Titles In Japanese And English, Angela Griffin

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

This research analyzed the ways in which book titles are changed in translation from English to Japanese and Japanese to English. The titles of one hundred books, fifty in Japanese and fifty in English, were sorted into three main categories of translation based on Tsukawaki’s research on translated sci-fi movie titles (2009): those using the Japanese katakana script, literal, and semantic. For Japanese to English titles, literal translations accounted for 68% of the data and semantic translations for 20%, while Japanese to English titles were literally translated only 48% of the time but semantically 34%. The changes made to translated …

Characteristics Of Award-Winning Children’S Books About Agriculture: An Analysis Of Content, And The Perspectives Of Authors, Illustrators, And Publishers, Addison L. Beckham

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this two-article qualitative study was to characterize children's literature about agriculture and to describe the perceptions of authors and illustrators who are responsible for writing and designing these successful publications. This will result in the ability of organizations like Feeding Minds Press to provide writers, illustrators, and publishers with effective strategies and techniques to improve the accuracy and overall quality of children’s literature about agriculture. Few parameters exist for authors of children’s books about agriculture (Biser, 2007). These parameters are necessary to ensure the quality and accuracy of these educational efforts (Serafini, 2012). Though Feeding Minds Press …

An Industry-Standard Profit And Loss Statement For Book Publishing Professionals In The United States, Jackie Krantz

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

Title profit and loss statements (P&Ls) in book publishing are valuable predictive tools for newly acquired titles. They inform the press on how money will be moving through the press in relation to the book’s production, revealing the book’s estimated value and level of profit. However, there is no industry-standard template. This lack of a template makes it difficult for new industry professionals to learn about P&Ls; prevents knowledge of one press’s P&L from being transferrable throughout the industry; and causes smaller presses to potentially neglect this useful tool due to the steep learning curve. The solution is to create …

The Power Of Storytelling: A Case Study Exploring Black Studies Through Nigerian Women Writers, Genesis Flores, Gaetan Jean Louis, Alexa Victor

McNair Scholars Program

No abstract provided.

Mood: A Zine Exploring The Value Of Youth-Oriented Media, Patricia K. Paul

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Media is a constant, persistent force in human lives that informs and influences through published, broadcasted, and digitally mediated formats. Mass media industries produce and distribute content consumed by diverse audiences, though the facilitators represent only a fraction of the demographics they serve.

Youth denote one of the most frequently misrepresented groups, with very few practical opportunities for young people to make decisions about the texts available to them. A jarring absence of youth participation in media creation at all levels suggests cultural contributions through art exclude young people's authentic perspectives and desires. Moreover, media portrayals of youth cannot adequately …

Struggling To Thrive: Nyc Publishing Salaries In The Age Of Inflation & Implications For Diversifying The Publishing Workforce, Em Villaverde

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

This research delves into the conundrum of New York City’s publishing sector, where passion drives more than profit. This paper reviews the impact of inflation and rising living costs on entry-level book publishing roles within NYC, unraveling the implications for diversity within the industry.

The central question investigates how the combination of inflation and living expenses influences the feasibility of jump-starting a publishing career in one of the most expensive cities—and the largest publishing hub—in the US. The study spotlights not only barriers to entering the industry but also the exacerbated challenges faced by BIPOC professionals.
The research zooms in …

Reactions To Latinx Children’S Picture Books From Indie Presses: An Analysis Of Online Consumer Reviews, Karina L. Agbisit

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

This study analyzed online consumer reviews of children's picture books published by three small, independent presses focused on providing representation of Latinx people and culture. Reviews showed an overwhelmingly positive reaction to the use of bilingual text. Reactions to the use of illustrations support research indicating a preference for bright, colorful images. Additional themes that emerged in reviews include the timeliness of a bilingual book about expressing feelings in the first year of the Covid pandemic; the importance of personal connections to expressions of culture and traditions in the text; the pros and cons of using photographs instead of illustrations; …

The Satisfaction Clause In Publishing Agreements: A Case Study Of Its Purpose, Controversy, And Future, Maliea Ruby

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

This research paper examines the satisfaction clause included in publishing contracts, the reason for controversy surrounding it, and what the future may look like for it. This is accomplished by looking at the history of the clause, how it functions in publishing contracts, and three major court cases centered around it. The satisfaction clause allows a client seeking a job done to determine whether the work is satisfactory to them. Much of the time these contracts are written to favor the client, part of the reason for its controversial status. In the context of publishing, the satisfaction clause is important …

Examining The Discovery Behaviors Of Comics Consumers, Tara Mccarron

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

The comics consumer base is big and it’s only getting bigger. And yet, very little research has been done on the consumer behavior of comics reads. In order to broaden the accessibility to comics consumer research, this paper examined the discovery behavior of 56 survey participants. The survey included questions pertaining to demographics, frequency of comics consumed, genres of comics consumed, formats used to consume comics, and methods used to discover comics. Due to limited scope, this paper focused solely on format preferences, discovery preferences, and the most-popular genre preferences. Based on this research, graphic novels remained the preferred format …

Metadata Decentralized: An Examination Of Folksonomy In Book Publishing, Dani Tellvik

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

Classification of materials as multifaceted and complex as books is fraught with competing needs and idiosyncratic forms of expression and organization. A publisher’s primary goal is to position their books in a way that will attract readers who find value in the books. Book Industry Standards and Communication (BISAC) codes, the list of industry-approved subject headings, are essential to a book’s metadata for North American publishers. They are used to strike the balance so that a book blends in to an established category while also standing out as a particularly compelling of unique expression or the chosen classification.

A Conversation With Stephen Graham Jones: Horror, Weird Fiction And The Way Of Slashers, With Sopapillas For Dessert, Billy J. Stratton

English and Literary Arts: Faculty Scholarship

An interview/conversation between Stephen Graham Jones and Billy J. Stratton, which took place in Denver on October 24, 2022.

Finding Their Chrysanthemum: Linguistic Representation In Children's Literature, Marielena Zajac

Master of Arts in Professional Writing Capstones

Children in America today struggle with finding themselves in the books they read due to societal expectations. From an early age, children are dictated on the correct way to speak and write in “American,” which can leave children and their home languages feeling unseen and dismissed. To help further the conversation and promotion of linguistic diversity in American society, this capstone analyzes dialectal representation in children’s books, with a heavy focus on attitudinal linguistic principles rather than prescriptive mechanics. The secondary research explores current literature and resources that discuss literacy acquisition in adolescents, trends in dialects in America, and childhood …

Publishing In The Pacific Northwest, Kathi Inman Berens, Rachel Noorda, Nathalie Op De Beeck

English Faculty Publications and Presentations

Overview of how 11 Pacific Northwest booksellers survived Covid, and continue to thrive after pandemic lockdowns have lifted. After many consumers shifted to online book buying, what techniques are these book stores using to attract and keep customers?

What Compels Millennial Parents To Buy Books For Their Children?, Emma Wolf

Book Publishing Final Research Papers

Millennials (those born between 1981-1996) make up the largest generation in U.S. history, and due to their relatively recent entrance into parenthood, there is little preexisting information available about their purchasing habits, which differ greatly from those of previous generations (McGee). Now that millennials are becoming parents, companies targeting the children of this generation—including those in the book publishing industry—would benefit from a better understanding of how and why this demographic chooses products; this paper focuses on how they buy books for their children. Through academic research and a survey of 150 participants, several indicators were discovered regarding how millennial …

The Writing For Healing And Transformation Project, Heather Elizabeth Osborn

Education Doctorate Dissertations

As a qualitative action research study, the purpose of The Writing for Healing and Transformation Project was to facilitate more inclusive writing strategies and to promote individual and collective healing on issues of social suffering and oppression (Kleinman, Das, & Lock, 1997; Pennebaker & Smyth, 2016) for diverse students at a community college located in the northeastern United States. The 18 participants in the study included students in my English II literature and composition course. The theoretical framework encompassed Pennebaker’s (2016) “writing for healing” paradigm, advocating the use of expressivist writing and “social suffering theory,” examining how power structures affect …

The Moxon Tennyson : A Landmark In Victorian Illustration, Simon Cooke

Ohio University Press Open Access Books

A new perspective on a book that transformed Victorian illustration into a stand-alone art.

Edward Moxon’s 1857 edition of Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s Poems dramatically redefined the relationship between images and words in print. Cooke’s study, the first book to address the subject in over 120 years, presents a sweeping analysis of the illustrators and the complex and challenging ways in which they interpreted Tennyson’s poetry. This book considers the volume’s historical context, examining in detail the roles of publisher, engravers, and binding designer, as well as the material difficulties of printing its fine illustrations, which recreate the effects of painting. …

“I’Ve Learned From Every Contributor, And For That I’M Thankful”: A Chat With Craig Ledoux, Editor-In-Chief Of Madcap Review, Craig Ledoux, Kailin Swift

The Review Review

Along with a group of his grad school friends, Craig Ledoux co-founded Madcap Review in 2014. They are a “semiannual online journal of literature and art” that encourages “the impulsive, the reckless, and the lively, but we also have great respect for form and restraint.” As explored in this interview, Madcap has very few submission restrictions because they believe that great writing isn’t easily categorized. Their reading period is Sept 1. To Oct. 31.

Venerable Nonfiction Magazine Proves It’S Still In The Game; Review Of Creative Nonfiction, Issue 72, Bria Peterson

The Review Review

Creative Nonfiction magazine is “true stories, well told.” Each issue works to prove that interesting narratives can make any subject meaningful through the adaptive essence of narrative nonfiction. In issue 72, titled “Games: The Power of Play,” they achieve this goal through long and short-form essays along with columns that examine the craft, style, and trends of writing true stories.

American Little Magazines Since 1950: Charting Many Histories, Thom Caraway

The Review Review

As lit mag enthusiasts know, Little Magazines cuts off in 1947. It details the magazines of the Modernist period quite well, as several other excellent comprehensive resources do. The three-volume Oxford Cultural History series on literary magazines details the work of various little magazines in the US, UK, Europe, and Ireland, but gets no further than 1950. Tri-Quarterly’s excellent “documentary” issue of 1978 surveys several editors of significant magazines in the intervening period, and they provide engaging statements of purpose, origin stories, and “biographical” sketches of their particular magazines. More recent volumes like Spreading the Word, Paper Dreams …

Your Perfect Cover Letter, The Review Review Team

The Review Review

Most literary magazines request a cover letter along with your writing submission. This is just way to introduce your work and introduce yourself. Its tone should be polite, professional and unassuming.

During Turbulent Times, A Reminder: The Ground Beneath Us Has Always Been Shifting, Jeffrey Dodd

The Review Review

This issue of The Review Review is being released at a remarkable time here in the United States, where we’re based.

• Global pandemic?
• Most divisive U.S. election season in living memory?
• Editor gets Covid?
• Uncertain economic future due, in large part, to those first two items?

“I Will Take Every Opportunity To Encourage Others”: A Chat With Heather Cuthbertson, Editor Of Gold Man Review, Heather Cuthbertson, Sydney Gonzalez

The Review Review

Gold Man Review is an annual literary journal serving and supporting a community of authors residing on the West Coast. It highlights diverse and passionate writers of short fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. The journal’s founder and Editor-In-Chief, Heather Cuthbertson, has overseen all issues and has ensured that they abide by Gold Man Review’s mission, “Creativity Becomes Community.” The journal’s 9th, and most recent, issue delightfully walks the line between playful and serious with a varied collection that has something for everyone. Issue 9 offers readers tales of love gained and lost, poignant reminders of how words affect others and …

West Coast Litmag Promotes Creative Community With Geographic Focus; Review Of Gold Man Review, Issue 9, Sydney Gonzalez

The Review Review

The 9th Issue of Gold Man Review explores human behavior through analysis, tragedy, and aspiration in a varied collection of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. This annual literary journal accepts submission from writers who reside in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. The 2019 edition honors Gold Man Review’s mission statement of “Creativity Becomes Community” by presenting unique works that are tonally in conversation.

Journal’S Contest Issue Presents Surprising Array Of Narrative Poetry; Review Of Naugatuck River Review, Issue 23, Jeffrey Dodd

The Review Review

Many fine literary magazines benefit from regular turnover in editorial staff, and sometimes editorial vision. Such is often the case with journals housed in university writing programs, where ever-new cohorts of students bring renewed energy and aesthetic interests. This often allows for new voices to make their way onto a journal’s pages. If there’s a downside to that model, other than the amount of onboarding work and potential lost institutional memory associated with regularly revolving leadership, it is that a journal’s identity can sometimes become confused. This is not the case with Naugatuck River Review, a journal of narrative …

A Journal That Serves “To Provide A Home For Creative Work Inspired By Journeys To Places Where There Are No Roads”: A Chat With Rick Kempa, Editor Of Deep Wild, Rick Kempa, Teresa Mccarthy

The Review Review

Deep Wild: Writing from the Backcountry, is a not-for-profit journal, published annually, whose mission is to provide a home for creative work inspired by journeys to places where there are no roads. The second issue, forthcoming this summer, will include work by 41 writers and 2 artists, representing five countries.

“One Of My Favorite Parts … Is When I Help To Pair Up Writers And Architects To Create Pieces Together”: A Chat With Joseph Altshuler, Editor Of Soiled, Joseph Altshuler, Caroline Gray

The Review Review

SOILED positions itself between a literary journal and a design magazine. Produced an artist-led team of four and published by a Chicago-based design practice, the journal publishes themed issues, the most recent of which focuses on children’s stories.

Clever Collaboration Highlights Israeli Experience; A Review Of The Ilanot Review, Fall 2019, The Collaborative Issue: Translations Of Granta Hebrew, Katharine Tibbitts

The Review Review

For two journals that have only been established in the last decade, Ilanot Review and Granta Hebrew pack a century’s worth of grief and wisdom into their awe-inspiring collaborative issue for Fall 2019. This collaboration, published under the title The Ilanot Review: The Collaborative Issue, represents a break from routine for both journals, as The Ilanot Review is known for its compelling thematic issues and Granta Hebrew for its Hebrew and Arabic extension of the illustrious London-based Granta—the Magazine of New Writing. The editors have compiled a brilliant whirlwind of poetry, prose, and memoir that pulls pieces from …

And Then Suddenly, Jeffrey Dodd

The Review Review

The story of how this relaunch of The Review Review took shape feels like a minor saga.