Reviews

Order Now
The Making of a Bestseller synopsis
Authors, editors, agents, experts and booksellers interviewed
Reviews
Table of Contents
The first chapter of The Making of a Bestseller Chapter One

Book Blog The Making of a Bestseller is well written and clearly organized, and it is chock full of information about how the publishing industry works. Its authors, in interviewing so many subjects from throughout the publishing world, show readers a cross-section of the industry with its various strata, from author to bookseller, laid bare. Read the entire review at Book Blog

Vromans Bookstore Reviews The results are presented in conversational question-and-answer segments that read like a collection of easy-to-digest magazine articles, instead of a dry manual on “how to write a bestseller.” Read more

The Making of a Bestseller is recommended by Powells Independent Bookstore

See the customer reviews at at amazon.com

This is a book you'll want to read again and again
You'll feel like you just had a scintillating dinner conversation with some of the top players in the publishing industry. This book is firmly grounded in reality and offers so much more than a pseudo-"sure-fire formula" for hitting bestseller lists-- it offers real insight into the ways success flourishes. This is a book you'll want to read again and again to glean new pieces of wisdom each time. Jenna Glatzer, editor in chief of AbsoluteWrite.com and author of Make a Real Living as a Freelance Writer

Midwest Book Review Midwest Book Review Debra Hamel, Reviewer

In preparing their book The Making of a Bestseller Brian Hill and Dee Power interviewed more than fifty authors, agents, editors, booksellers, and assorted publishing industry experts on the subject of bestsellers--how books attain that status, what it costs an author to remain on the bestseller lists, what role various parties play in the creation of a best-selling book. The responses Hill and Power received form the backbone of their book, in which interview snippets are arranged thematically and interspersed with explanatory or introductory narrative. The book's eighteen chapters are divided into three broad sections--The Bestseller, Publishing, and The Author. The topics covered are too numerous to mention here, but the authors have included discussions of, for example, the various best-selling lists and how they are compiled; the importance--or not--of print reviews to a book's success; the influence of agents and editors on a manuscript; how booksellers select the titles they stock; and the process of adapting bestsellers for the screen.

The Making of a Bestseller is well written and clearly organized, and it is chock full of information about how the publishing industry works. Its authors, in interviewing so many subjects from throughout the publishing world, show readers a cross-section of the industry with its various strata, from author to bookseller, laid bare. The book should be of interest to would-be authors looking to scale the heights of bestsellerdom themselves as well as to industry insiders. Fans of the authors interviewed--among them Dan Brown, Peter Straub, Barbara Taylor Bradford, and Nicholas Sparks--may also be interested in this behind-the-scenes look at their favorite books.

fascinating look
An intriguing and fascinating look at the myths and realities of writing a bestseller and how they com about. A must read for any writer who seriously wants to know what it takes to 'make it big' in publishing these days. Peter Rubie, President, Peter Rubie Literary Agency, Author of Telling the Story HarperCollins

a treasure-trove of wisdom
One of the reasons why now is the best time ever to be a writer is that there are more models than ever – both books and authors -- that writers can emulate to become successful authors. Brian and Dee have amassed a treasure-trove of wisdom about writing and publishing that will make any book fail proof. Because the authors draw on the knowledge of top authors, agents and editors, the information in this book is priceless. It's like having 150 power lunches without leaving your armchair. No matter where you in your writing career, this book is one of the best investments you can make in your future. And it's a fast read because Brian and Dee have broken up the book into bite-sized pieces so you can open the book anywhere and in minutes get invaluable information. Michael Larsen, Michael Larsen-Elizabeth Pomada Literary Agents

The Making of a Bestseller has it all
has it all -- the guts, the buts, the glory and the gory of the book biz. If you are serious about having a career in publishing - as an author, editor, bookseller or publicist - you owe it to yourself to read this book. No tricks can get you there, but the hard work and humility of the stories in this well researched book are inspiring and eye opening. M.J. Rose - http://www.mjrose.com - author of The Halo Effect

Before you write yours, read this book! 
An insider's peek at the glamorous, exciting, and seductive world of bestsellers.  Before you write yours, read this book!  Fern Reiss, PublishingGame.com

The reader benefits greatly
What makes The Making of a Bestseller stand out is the authors' understanding of all the complex pieces. They ask the hard questions, like 'can an author be both literary and commercial?' And rather than just interviewing authors, they talked to agents, editors, publishing executives, industry consultants...and even inserted the wisdom of famous authors from the past. The reader benefits greatly from these many differing perspectives. -- Shel Horowitz, book-industry copywriter, owner of http://www.frugalmarketing.com and author of Principled Profit: Marketing That Puts People First

All the insider information you need to make your book bestseller
If your goal is having a best selling book, you'll be light years ahead after you read this book. Get it straight from the authors mouth, plus editors, publishers, agents and booksellers. All the insider information you need to make your book bestseller. A publishing classic. Jim Donovan, Author, Handbook to a Happier Life

powerful evaluation of the book writing and publishing industry
This is a must have book for aspiring and early break-through writers. The information, some good news, some bad, is an invaluable reality check. Going straight to the sources of the industry, the authors have put together a powerful evaluation of the book writing and publishing industry. It dispels some myths and confirms others. The competition is so great; a writer needs every edge possible. Reading this book won’t make you a bestseller, necessarily; however, it will tell you what the agents and editors are looking for and what the odds are of your breaking in. It covers such subjects as: the rewards, pleasures, and the likelihood of attaining bestselling status; how the bestselling lists are created; the common factors involved in bestsellers; the importance of reviews; the readers; promotion and publicity; career building; turning a book into a movie; the bestselling author’s life; and much more.  

The authors show each aspect from many different viewpoints, using surveys and interviews of authors, agents, editors, publicists, and even bookstore owners. We rated this excellent intelligence report a solid four hearts. Bob Spear Heartland Reviews, Co-owner, the Book Barn, www.abookbarn.com