Mascot Blog

By Emily Evans-Miller There’s only a few days left until Halloween! Here at the Mascot Books office, we’re eager for the big day–especially so we can see Bowie in an adorable costume. It’s a tradition! In preparation for everyone’s favorite mischievous time of year, we’re sharing our favorite spooky books to get you in the spirit. Alphabots

by The Impossible Winterbourne The Impossible Winterbourne has just finished another clever and captivating collection of contraptions–the AlphaBots! From AquaBot to ZombiBot, these whimsical works of wonder come to life in this beautifully illustrated alphabet book that is sure

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By Emily Evans-Miller CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) is a hot-button topic in the sports world. From the mildly concerned to the downright panicked, misinformation is spreading like wildfire. Merril Hoge, former NFL player and author of , shared what motivated him to speak out against the crowd. You contend that much of the science demonstrating the prevalence of CTE is flawed. Is CTE itself a real condition? Something causes clumps of tau protein to form around the blood vessels in the brain in some people, so in that sense, yes, CTE is real. But we don’t know what … read more

By Emily Evans-Miller Last week we talked about how to design a great front cover, but the dust jacket and back cover are some of the most important real estate on a book. Back cover copy (also called flap copy) is the text that goes on the back cover of a book or on the back cover and flaps of a dust jacket. Your cover copy doesn’t just tell potential readers what your book is about–it’s a critical marketing tool. Just think, how many times have you picked up a book and read the description to see if it … read more

By Emily Evans-Miller As much as we emphasize the importance of a book’s content, the cover is important as well. From typography, to photography or illustration, to the overall design and colors used, books really do get judged by their covers. Our blog editor, Emily, asked some of our graphic designers what their processes are when designing covers that help a project put its best foot forward. Our Senior Graphic Designer, Ricky, gave these tips for designing a cover that stands out: The target market and subject matter: It’s very important to keep the target market in mind … read more

Every month we feature a new release that we think really shines. This month’s featured title is  by Kirk Richardson! Why We Love It With Oktoberfests in full swing all over the world, what better way to celebrate the fall season than with a book about beer? Food and beverage writer Kirk Richardson’s vibrant interviews with some of North America’s most brilliant brewers pair beautifully with his insightful tasting notes, giving readers of Craft Beer Country a unique insight into the burgeoning craft beer industry. Engaging, funny, and adventurous, this book is the perfect accompaniment to any brew you have with … read more

We’re officially in the swing of fall! As the weather gets colder and the days get shorter, curl up with a Mascot book. This month, we’re releasing new fiction to take you on your next adventure, a sports-science exposé that will change the conversation around football, coffee table books to help you find your next favorite brew, and much more. With four major release days throughout the month, don’t hesitate to preorder your copies well in advance! Find our books here at Mascot Books, on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or wherever books are sold. Fiction Dr. Ford Freud: A … read more

By Emily Evans-Miller Each year, the American Library Association brings together authors, librarians, publishers, and book lovers from all walks of life in celebration of Banned Books Week. This year, Banned Books Week takes place from September 23rd to the 29th. Though none of our titles at Mascot Books have been challenged, we support free speech and the end of censorship for all authors and books. In celebration of free thought, our blog editor, Emily, asked around the Mascot Books office to find out everyone’s challenged titles. Our Favorite Censored Titles Jess Cohn, Acquisitions Editor To … read more

By Emily Evans-Miller Here at Mascot, we think it’s high time to recognize the unsung heroes of the publishing community: illustrators and editors. We have an extensive network of freelance professionals who do fantastic work for us and our authors. This month, our featured freelance publishing professional is editor Lorna Walsh! Lorna is one of our most trusted editors and has worked with Mascot for over a year. She’s edited books of all genres, so our blog editor, Emily, asked Lorna a few questions to learn more about her editorial process. How did you get into editing books? What … read more

By Emily Evans-Miller In honor of National Suicide Prevention month, we’re featuring Spared by Shaun Deane. Spared is Deane’s memoir about the tragic events of his early adulthood, which includes coping with suicides that touched close to home. Spared is his way of facing his past head-on, uncovering new truths to better understand himself in order to overcome and survive tragedy. We asked him about the writing process, dealing with grief, and capturing one of the most difficult periods of his life in language. What were your motivations in writing Spared? Books surrounded me growing … read more

By Emily Evans-Miller Time for some throwbacks! Fifteen years ago, Mascot Books was founded on September 15th, 2003 by CEO Naren Aryal. For the past fifteen days, we’ve been featuring one of our titles from each year on our social media channels. We love getting the chance to celebrate how diverse our titles are! As you can imagine, with over 300 books sent to print so far this year alone, we had quite a challenge picking out just one for each year. Check them out! 2003: Hello, Hokie Bird! By Aimee Sutter Aryal Follow Hokie Bird around the … read more