This marks another addition to the regular feature here at Little Indiana: Indiana Blogs! If you are an Indiana Blogger, please use the contact form and send me an email. You may be featured right here on Little Indiana.
Indiana Blogs: IU Press
Indiana University Press Blog is an Indiana blog that deals with books, books, and more books–and many of them are of regional interest.
If you have ever wanted to really dig into Indiana, well, everything, then Indiana University Press is the way to go.
There’s Indiana history, geography, wildlife, art, people, and so much more. The blog serves as a great way to keep the Hoosier (and beyond) conversation going.
Indiana Blogs: Indiana University Press Blog
Why did you start Indiana University Press Blog?
I started the blog in January 2007 to increase our online presence and to create more exposure for our books and journals. I also wanted to share stories about our publishing program that didn’t really fit in with the content we offered on our main website.
Our main site is for business transactions (buying books or getting published); I wanted to be more fun and casual and get into what goes on behind the scenes at the press.
Also, I felt that our readers needed to have more opportunities to interact with us and discuss our books, and a blog seemed like the perfect place to do that!
What about that name? Why IUPress?
It’s just the short version of Indiana University Press. But I’m really glad I called it that now that Twitter has come along and imposed 140 character limits!
Is there only one writer for the blog or is there a team? Who are the people behind the IUPress blog?
We have a regular team of writers comprised of myself and two interns this semester. We also have occasional contributors to the blog, including other press employees who write for our monthly Staff Pick feature and authors who write posts or participate in Q&As or podcasts.
I am the editor for all the content and create the schedule for our blog features.
What are three of your most favorite posts?
- We’re Moving — I really enjoyed writing the post on our recent move to the Wells Library at IU. We found a lot of wacky stuff when we were cleaning out the old office, which was great fodder for the blog!
- Sunday Brunch Cooking with Paradise Kitchen — We’ve published two wonderful cookbooks by Chef Daniel Orr, who owns FARMfood, my favorite restaurant in Bloomington. The benefits of publishing his cookbooks are that I can try out the recipes and consider it a day’s work if I blog about it! But my new recipe experiments are always an adventure. You can read more about my mango mishaps and papaya/passion fruit confusion in this post I wrote about making a waffle recipe from Chef Orr’s Paradise Kitchen cookbook:
- In Memoriam: Pat HoefIing — I definitely can’t call this my “favorite” post because no one ever wants to write about someone dying. However, the blog I wrote about my boss’s death in 2010 was definitely the most meaningful and probably the best piece I’ve ever written. You never get enough chances to thank someone who’s been an inspiration to you.
What keeps you ready and raring to post? Why do you blog?
We’re very fortunate to publish books and journals that are highly regarded by scholars, readers, and reviewers, so I’m never at a loss for content. Every day, my Google Alerts are full of news to blog! And there’s a variety of topics to cover, so it’s always interesting and fresh.
What can people expect when they hop onto your blog?
People can expect to see book reviews, author events, awards, giveaways, publishing industry news, podcasts, book trailers and more on our blog.
I also like to blog about the people who work at the press and what they do behind the scenes to show the human side of the IU Press brand.
You talk books, books, and more books! Are there any Indiana-themed books that really stand out to you that you’d like to mention here?
Wow, this is a really hard question because we publish so many regional books. I’ll focus on the titles we have about things to see and do in Indiana, which will probably be of the most interest to your blog readers.
Readers who are looking for the best places to eat and drink in Indiana should definitely check out True Brew by Rita Kohn, Home Grown Indiana by Christine Barbour and Scott Hutcheson, and Reid Duffy’s Guide to Indiana’s Favorite Restaurants.
In addition to food and drink, some of Indiana’s most beautiful sites are found off the beaten path. If you want to see these hidden gems, I recommend picking up two of our photo books: Indiana Covered Bridges by Marsha Williamson Mohrand Unexpected Indiana by Ron Leonetti and Christopher Jordan.
The photos in both books are excellent, but do yourself a favor and check out some of these sites in person. I’m a lifelong Indiana resident and didn’t know that some of these places existed! There’s a lot of beauty in the Indiana landscape if you’re willing to look for it.
We also have a wonderful collection of field guides for those who like to explore nature. I could probably give about a hundred more recommendations, but I’ll just say visit our website to see a complete list of our regional titles.
Is there anything else that you would like little Indiana readers to know about you or your blog?
Please visit our blog and tell us what you think. I love hearing feedback.
Indiana Everything from IU Press
I hope the IU Press blog makes you want to learn more about our great Hoosier state! Thanks to Laura for sharing IU Press with little Indiana readers today.
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