The making of a bestseller
Subtitle: success stories from authors and the editors, agents, and booksellers behind them
By: Brian Hill and Dee Power
Contributors: Power, Dee
Publisher: Dearborn Trade Pub.
Published: 2005
Place of publication: Chicago
Language: eng
Number of pages: 251
Subjects: Best sellers -- United States -- History -- 20th century; Publishers and publishing -- United States -- History -- 20th century; Books and reading -- United States -- History -- 20th century; Popular literature -- United States -- History and criticism; Authorship; Authors, American -- 20th century -- Interviews
Genres: Interviews
Description: According to Bowker, there are over 150,000 books published in the U.S. every year. Less than 1 percent of the books published make the bestseller list. People are fascinated by bestselling authors who have become every bit as much celebrities as rock musicians or film stars. Through some mysterious process, these individuals take blank pages and turn them into gold. And many authors do this over and over again. For authors, earning a spot on the bestseller list is the grand, often elusive prize at the end of many years of work. But what makes a bestseller happen? Brian Hill and Dee Power interviewed over 50 successful authors, publishers, editors, agents, book reviewers, and other experts to find the answer. The Making of a Bestseller: Success Stories from Authors and the Editors, Agents, and Booksellers Behind Them presents a comprehensive look at the publishing process from start to finish. Authors and would-be authors, individuals in the publishing industry, and passionate readers will learn: How bestselling authors approach the craft of writing and marketing their books; The many different paths authors take to the top of the list; The impact a first bestseller makes on an author's life; The workings of the selection process, from the query letter to the decision to publish; How publishers know a book has bestseller potential; The agent's role in helping create a bestseller; Factors and events that influence whether a book makes the bestseller list, including TV "reading book clubs," the review process, publicity, marketing programs, and timing; How Hollywood impacts the reading public. To provide a broad spectrum ofexperience, interviews are included with authors of nonfiction and fiction, as well as first-time novelists to serial bestsellers. In addition, avid readers will find fascinating stories behind some of their favorite authors' works.
Notes: Includes index
Table of contents: title: The incomparable thrill; title: Making the list : how they work; title: What causes a book to become successful?; title: Reviews : the good, the bad, the ugly; title: Changes in readers' taste; title: Editors and publishers; title: Literary agents; title: Getting the books on the shelves and out the door; title: Establishing a brand image with readers; title: Promotion : publishers' and publicists' efforts, and of course bookstores; title: Climbing the marketing mountain; title: Building a career; title: From the bookshelf to the silver screen; title: Where does the idea come from?; title: The process of writing; title: The bestselling author's life; title: The ups and downs; title: Final thoughts