Best Publishing
Xlibris Announces its Ten Best-selling Books for April 2009
Author: Michael McCain
Xlibris, the leading company in the independent publishing industry has announced the top ten best-selling books in its library of self-published titles for April 2009.
1. Nothing is Strange with You: the Life and Crimes of Gordon Stewart Northcott by James Jeffrey Paul; (True Crime). Tells the whole story of the Gordon Stewart Northcott case.
2. Removing Doubt in an Interview: a Better Approach to Getting the Job You Want by Eric C. Hoss; (Business & Economics). Introduces a unique and successful approach to job interviewing.
3. Operator’s Guide to Centrifugal Pumps: What Every Reliability-Minded Operator Needs to Know by Robert X. Perez; (Reference, Technology). A detailed guide for process operators who regularly deal with centrifugal pumps.
4. Wherever I Am, I’m Fine: Letters About Living While Dying by Catherine Royce; (Inspiration & Personal Growth). A journal of a woman’s life after being dianosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.
5. The Ides of June by Stan Trybulski; (Fiction). Doherty, a former New York prosecutor is now in a dead-end legal job with the city’s Department of Education. His life suddenly changes when a school principal asks him to look into the 30-year-old murder of her twin sister.
6. Tooth Trouble by Steven Zuckerman; (Juvenile fiction). Depicts a funny story about a young girl, her dentist, and the tooth fairy.
7. Vitamin C, Infectious Diseases, and Toxins: Curing the Incurable by Thomas E. Levy, M.D., J.D.; (Medical). Details the multiple health and healing benefits of vitamin C.
8. A Brain-Based Approach to Closing the Achievement Gap by Horacio Sanchez; (Education). Describes learning techniques that maximizes the human brain.
9. A Happy Pocket Full of Money: Your Quantum Leap into the Understanding, Having, and Enjoying of Immense Wealth and Happiness by David Cameron Gikandi; (Reference). Elaborates how recent discoveries in theoretical physics are actually relevant in the creation of personal wealth.
10. Leave Yesterday Behind by Leo Mark Bonaventura; (Fiction). Leo Adam Alba III awakens from a dream where he sees Karen Carpenter asking God to send her someone to love her for herself.
These self-published releases are available at the online bookstore of the Xlibris website at https://www2.xlibris.com/bookstore/index.asp. Find out more about how to get your book published.
About Xlibris
Xlibris was founded in 1997 and, as the leading publishing services provider for authors, has helped to publish more than 20,000 titles. Xlibris is based in Bloomington, IN and provides authors with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound, and full-color formats.
For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/136lGA , e-mail pressrelease@xlibris.com or call at 1-888-795-4247, to receive a free publishing guide.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-publishing-articles/xlibris-announces-its-ten-bestselling-books-for-april-2009-948916.html
About the Author
Xlibris is a book publisher founded in 1997 and, as the leading publishing services provider for authors, has helped to publish more than 20,000 titles. Xlibris is based in Philadelphia, PA and provides authors with direct and personal access to quality publication in hardcover, trade paperback, custom leather-bound, and full-color formats.
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You are getting way ahead of yourself.
Write your story (if it is not already finished).
Type it in proper manuscript form (http://www.neverend.com/msformat.htm has the details on what is needed).
Edit it many times to make it as good as it can be. Put it in a drawer, and don’t even think about it, for a month or two, then take it out and edit it some more.
Get it proofread by someone who knows what they are doing (do not rely only on spellcheck).
There are very few publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts (those that don’t go through a literary agent), so getting an agent is a really good idea.
When your book is edited and polished, come back here and ask about how to get an agent. You can also use the search-bar at the top of this page and ask. It’s a popular question.
The first book is always the most difficult. Even agents want someone who has a foot in publishing already. So, first step is establishing a readership by writing short stories for mystery / fantasy magazines. If accepted the pay for these isn’t bad, and it gets people hooked on your style. Once you have done that consistently for about a year, you should have enough samples to take to an agent. In nonfiction, I highly recommend being agented for your protection (and decreased frustration level). A lot of companies won’t look at unagented books, and an agent usually knows what firms are looking for in terms of story lines. That’s their job.
If you decide to get an agent the current standard is they get 15% of what they make for you and may charge for postage and large copy projects. They should NOT require a reading fee.
Good luck!
I’ve always preferred Microsoft Publisher in the past, for home use, and work for smaller clients.
When I worked in a print shop, we used Adobe Illustrator.
I have to be fair to the open-source projects out there though. Before you make a buying decision, have a look at OpenOffice and Scribus.
Both are great open-source (and therefore FREE) quality products with a great support community, and come in versions for Linux, Mac, and Windows.
Try Scribus.
http://www.scribus.net/
Make sure you install GhostScript beforehand (they’ll have a link on the download page).
Oh, and it’s not a trial. It’s completely free.
Dorrance is a self publisher, if you weren’t aware of that.
No company is “best” for new authors. Any that make that claim are usually a scam.
Traditional publishers pay advances and market the book to real stores. Self publishers do not, and you end up paying them a lot of money.
If you want your work in stores nationwide and keep your money in your pocket, then do not self publish.
Get a copy of the writer’s market or author’s yearbook. Most of what you need to know is in there.
You need to know
—the difference between traditional and self publishing and why self publishing has a poor reputation in the industry
—what proper manuscript format is
—how to write a query letter and synopsis
—what an advance really is and how royalties work
—the difference between copyright and publishing rights
—what unsolicited means
The more you know about publishing, the less likely you will fall victim to a scam
It is advised, especailly for new authors, to query agents rather than publishers (many publishers do not take unsolicited manuscripts). Agents do a lot more for authors than just sell manuscripts. They are well worth their 15% commission.
Always remember
1 – real publishers pay you, you do not pay them
2 – real agents get paid after they sell your work, not before
3 – being “available to order online” is not the same as having books on shelves at real stores
I think you should go with a publishing house. I know from experience that those are typically the best way to go.
I have always been fond of Scribus and OpenOffice.
http://www.scribus.net/
http://www.openoffice.org/
They are no pagemaker, but they do the job well. And both are free.
If you purchase Writer’s Market 2008 or Jeff Herman’s Guide you will find thousands of agents and publishers. You can also go to the library and view Literary Marketplace. What you need to be doing right now is educating yourself on the business. You need to learn how to write PERFECT query letters and synopses: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=13531 You need to research agents, editors and publishers: http://www.sff.net/people/VictoriaStrauss/trackrecord.html You need to be reading agent blogs (Nathan Bransford is my favorite): http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37784 and editor blogs: http://www.absolutewrite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=89186 to learn about the inner workings of the publishing industry. You can also look through My Starred Questions and the links in the About Me section in my profile for info on agents and publishing.
If a publisher decides to publish your work they will hire an illustrator of their choosing. The author rarely has a say on this.
Don’t get involved in this business until you know everything there is to know.
Well, first, you have to finish the book, then find an agent. But I know how the prospect of finding a publishing company is exciting, since I’ve looked up agents before actually finishing my story. Here are the top three:
Scholastic’s sold most, thanks to Harry Potter (best for children books)
http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/
Harper Collins
http://harpercollins.com/
Random House
http://www.randomhouse.com/
Hope this helps! 🙂
You’ll probably want to find an online self-publishing site though. It’s easier. Try Createspace or lulu.
The majority of publishing houses will not accept unsolicited manuscripts, by this I mean they will not accept work(s) they have not asked for. You should write query letters and a book proposal first, first send your query letter to a publishing house and then if they are interested, they will ask to see your book proposal which should typically be between 20-40 pages long. If they are still interested then they will ask for your manuscript which will be passed to the Editorial Department for review.
You may need a literary agent however, publishing houses prefer working with literary agents rather than the author directly.
If you cannot answer these questions I set below then you DO need a literary agent –
– Do you have a thorough understanding of the publishing market and its dynamics?
– Do you know who are the best publishers for your book genre and why? Are you able to evaluate the pros and cons of each?
– Are you financially numerate and confident of being able to negotiate the best commercial deal available in current market conditions?
– Are you confident of being able to understand fully and negotiate a publishing or other media contract?
– Do you enjoy the process of selling your yourself and your work?
– Do you want to spend your creative time on these activities?
If you cannot answer all questions above then you WILL need a literary agent, it is the job of a literary agent to do the work of contacting publishers on your behalf. Literary Agents do not get paid by yourself, so if they ask for money; you are being scammed. Landing a literary agent is hard but it is easier than trying to negotiate your way into the publishing industry by yourself. Because literary agents like you keep a good track record however; if you do manage to land a literary agent, they will work extremely hard on your behalf to get publishers to look at your work and will only stop showing it around when all publishers have declined it. If your work is accepted, literary agents tend to take a 15% – 20% commission of all profits for their work, but this is worth it considering they can save you weeks (if not months or years) through the publishing process.
You would contact a literary agent the same way, a query letter then book proposal. They do NOT accept unsolicited manuscripts so if you send them your manuscript directly with no query letter or book proposal first your work WILL be shredded.
You must also check the website(s) of the publisher or literary agent for any specific submission guidelines which you MUST follow – as well as that, e-mail submissions are rarely accepted so be prepared to purchase a lot of stamps and envelopes, and make sure to include a return envelope with your address and stamp on; otherwise you may not even hear a reply to say if you have been rejected or not.
Also make sure to contact the publisher or literary agent by phone before sending any letters to find out the name of the person you will be addressing it too, if you don’t your letter may get lost and then eventually destroyed.
What is the best publishing company for a mystery, adventure, and fantasy debut novel?
I’m new to writing, but i know that it is something that i want to do for the rest of my life. My first novel is really good, but i feel i’m in the dark for who to send it to. i’ve done research and i realized that there are a LOT of publishing companies, agents, and online do it yourself publishing. which would be the best?
what is the best inexpensive publishing software for home use?
i want to do brochures, make greeting cards, menus, etc. I would like to know what is the best publishing software and the best place to purchase it.
What is the best publishing program to use?
I am currently publishing a small magazine and I was wondering what the best program to use would be. There is Microsoft Publisher, but there are also Adobe programs that do the same sort of things, and if I am going to learn a whole new program, I’d rather learn the best one. so I am considering ease of use, effectiveness, etc…
what is the best free trial publishing download?
I would like to publish a short magazine/newsletter and was wondering what would be the best publishing download. I have tried adobe pagemaker, but this is not compatible with vista. Please suggest?
Author looking for best publishing company to submit to.?
I have children book stories I would like to submit to a publishing company. Ive looked around but I cant find one that really stands out over the rest. I would like to try the best first and not get short changed in the end and get the most respectable in the market. Im also intersested in illustration for hire if anyone is in need. Any advice would appreciated.
What is the best publishing company for childrens/teens books?
I’m writing a teens book with my friend and i dont know which publishing company is the best to go to…. i was leaning toward scholastics but idk……. Any ideas!
Allie+Ian
Which is the best publishing company available?
I’m 15 and I’ve just written a novel about werewolves named ‘Last Howls’. I’ve sent it to the Dorrance Publishing Company and there’s still no response yet. Its stated in the email that the response will be sent in 3 to 4 weeks time but its already the 4th or 5th week, I think. So, should I look for another company to try my luck? If so, which company’s the best for first time authors? Pls help!
What are the best publishing companies I can access from Michigan?
I want to publish a novel in a little while and I wanted to know what publishing company is best to help me make my book into a best seller?
whats the best publishing company for me?
im only 13, so im wondering if anyone would publish me. doesn’t it sort of depend on the type of book? whats the best publishing company for me to try? list some for me please, i really dont even know where to start >.<
Best publishing option for making money?
I have a book written. The book is religious non fiction. I’d like to get it published, and I’d like to know which option for publishing is the best for maximizing profits. I’m a first time author, and I’m not famous. At this point, making as much money as possible is my goal for my book.
Should I go to a publishing house, or should I self publish?
Thanks in advance.