Ways and Means

Ways and Means Introduction: Lois Jones, Editor-in-Chief, GW Journal of Ethics in Publishing

The Satisfaction Clause in Publishing Agreements: A Case Study of Its Purpose, Controversy, and Future, Maliea Ruby with Ooligan Press

Better Stories, Better Sustainability: How Authentic Storytelling Can Lead University Presses into the Future, Sophia Zengierski, Macmillan Learning

The Satisfaction Clause in Publishing Agreements: A Case Study of Its Purpose, Controversy, and Future, Maliea Ruby with Ooligan Press

This presentation 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 cases centered around it. The satisfaction clause allows a client seeking a job done to determine whether the work is satisfactory to them; some proposed changes could help to even the balance of power between authors and publishers.

Better Stories, Better Sustainability: How Authentic Storytelling Can Lead University Presses into the Future, Sophia Zengierski, Macmillan Learning

The university press, responsible for both credentialing and disseminating knowledge from the university out into the world, faces 21st century challenges that build on the strains that began with the decline of the monograph. Encountering financial pressure, new competition, and the uncertainty of the multi-modal digital space and the era of fake news, presses have been forced to take on projects beyond their original mission just to survive. But presses can do better. Through careful examination of their strengths and values, often rooted in the Humanities, presses can take back their story and enter this difficult marketplace with confidence about who they are and what they hope to achieve. It is this authenticity and story ownership that will allow presses to thrive in this complex, multi-stakeholder environment as they tread the balance between art and business.

Maliea Ruby is a recent graduate of Portland State University with an MS in Book Publishing where she worked at Ooligan Press. She spent her second year as project manager for YA fantasy novel The Keepers of Aris. Over the course of two years, she gained experience and knowledge about every aspect of the publishing industry and found a love in editing and marketing. Originally from Idaho, she grew up reading well past her bedtime and escaping into fairytale worlds. Some of her favorite genres include mythology-inspired fantasy like The Daevabad Trilogy by S.A. Chakraborty and anything queer.

Sophia Zengierski is a writer and editor based in Princeton, NJ. Her career in textbook publishing has included roles in sales, marketing and editorial. With degrees in literature and nonprofit leadership from the University of St Andrews (in Scotland) and the University of Pennsylvania respectively, she is interested in organizational leadership, storytelling, and the intersection of the arts and practical solutions for real-world problems. The research paper presented at the conference was completed at the University of Pennsylvania.