Writer F. Scott Fitzgerald's career itself is a metaphor for the vagaries of book publishing. If Fitzgerald would have had his way, we would today refer to The Great Gatsby as either Gold-Hatted Gatsby, Trimalchio in West Egg, or The High-Bouncing Lover. A few years before Gatsby, Fitzgerald had become a literary sensation at the age of 23; Helen Hooven Santmyer, a contemporary of Fitzgerald's, would not have a successful novel published until she was 88 and living in a nursing home. In this book, the author explores that mysterious place in publishing where art and commerce can either clash, mesh, or both. Along the way, a wide range of authors--from the literary greats to today's commercial superstars--editors, agents and publishers share their thoughts, insights and experiences: What inspires writers? (John Steinbeck, for example, wrote every novel as if it were his last, as if death were imminent.) Why are some books successful and appreciated, while others fall into oblivion? The answers are often elusive, never absolute, but the stories and anecdotes are always fascinating.

"What if there was an algorithm that could predict which novels become mega-bestsellers? Are books like Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code and Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl the Gladwellian outliers of publishing? [This book] boldly claims that the New York Times bestsellers in fiction are predictable and that it's possible to know with 97% certainty if a manuscript is likely to hit number one on the list as opposed to numbers two through fifteen. The algorithm does exist; the code has been cracked; the results are in"--

When novelist Dinah Craik (1826–87) died, expressions of grief came from Lord Alfred Tennyson, Matthew Arnold, Robert Browning, T.H. Huxley, and James Russell Lowell, among others, and even Queen Victoria picked up her pen to offer her consolation to the widower. Despite Craik’s enormous popularity throughout a literary career that spanned forty years, she is now all but forgotten. Yet, in an otherwise respectable life bookended by scandal, this was precisely the way that she wanted it. Victorian Bestseller is the first book to relate the story of Dinah Craik’s remarkable life. Combining extensive archival work with theoretical work in disability studies and the professionalization of women’s authorship, Karen Bourrier engagingly traces the contours of this author’s life. Craik, who wrote extensively about disability in her work, was no stranger to it in her personal and professional life, marked by experiences of mental and physical disability, and the ebb and flow of health. Following scholarship in the ethics of care and disability studies, the book posits Craik as an interdependent subject, placing her within a network of writers, publishers, editors and artists, friends, and family members. Victorian Bestseller also traces the conditions in the material history of the book that allowed Victorian women writers’ careers to flourish. In doing so, the biography connects corporeality, gender, and the material history of the book to the professionalization of Victorian women’s authorship.

eBooks are the digital equivalent of hardback or paperback books. Suitable for every genre and every person, this revolutionary way of reading has taken the world by storm. eBook readers can be standalone devices with that display digital books only, or they can be incorporated into an app that can be downloaded onto a computer, tablet or even a phone. Versatile and marketable, eBooks are the wave of the future and with an open platform for self-publishing, they can be your way to financial success. Any kernel of an idea can be transformed into an eBook, and with the right tools and the right knowledge, that eBook can become a bestseller. Yet how do you do it? How can you go from idea to publication? The process may seem complicated or even daunting, but this guide will help you get there. Easy to read and detailed, these pages lay out the truth behind the eBook; what it takes to write a successful eBook, how to market it, where to publish it, and how to get readers coming back for more. There is a writer inside of you, waiting to be heard, and with the world of eBook publication wide open, there is no time like the present to realize your dreams. This guide will help you craft your inspiration into an eBook that sells.

This book contains success stories and inspired interviews from the work of Christian publishing.

Writing romance and commercial fiction means knowing the rules, and this book will help you learn them and get there. If you're wondering where to start, what to do, what not to do, how to find your author brand... this book has it all and more. Just take it from the 12 bestselling authors who wrote it! Experiencing all the ups and downs of the publishing industry isn't easy, so Writing the Bestseller II will help you not only handle the work involved, but handle it well. Learning from authors who have been in your shoes, who understand the market and genre, willingly share their tips, wisdom, and encouragement so you can also succeed. What are you waiting for? Get started on your writing career today!

From No.1 bestselling author Toni Maguire comes a new true story of abuse and survival. 'Small children have no say in the direction their lives take. Even before they have learnt to walk and talk, they are trained to obey' Daisy was only four when her parents told her and her older brother that they were moving halfway across the world to Australia for a better life. Leaving everything behind, including her beloved grandparents, she stepped into an unfamiliar world. Daisy's close and unbreakable bond with her disabled brother helped her navigate her new life, until tragedy repeatedly struck the family. After her parents' split and she was introduced to her new stepfather, nothing could have prepared her for what followed. All alone in 300 acres of wilderness, Daisy's only wish was to return home to her grandparents and their love. This is her true story of fear, abuse and, finally, escape.