The Christian book market is a specialized niche, with many of its works sold in Christian book stores rather than in general bookstores. The fact that it’s a well-defined niche means that it’s often best to work through Christian bookstores and churches, where your work can be presented to the most receptive potential buyers.
Xulon, which describes itself as “the largest, most experienced Christian owned and operated print-on-demand self publisher of Christian books,” focuses on self-publishing books for this unique marketplace. They offer self-publishing packages and services to get your book ready for sale, then “get your Christian book into the hands of readers through our reliable network of 25,000 bookstores, plus online at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.” (A list of the bookstores was not posted online, so I cannot verify that they are all Christian bookstores.)
You begin by selecting one of Xulon’s three self-publishing packages: Premium, Best-Seller and Elite. (The descriptions and prices of services are as of February 17, 2011.)
- Premium – This $1,299 package includes a “Custom Designed Book Cover,” “Custom Designed Interior Formatting,” ISBN number, U.S. copyright, a listing in “Books In Print,” placement of your book for sale on Xulon’s online book stores as well as Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com, and five complimentary author copies of your book.
- Best-Seller – For $2,299 you get all the Premium services plus more, including placement in the Xulon New Releases Catalogue sent to 5,000 Christian bookstores, exhibition of your book at the Christian Product Expo Show and other book expos, and the availability of your book through Espresso Book Machine. (The machine, found in some libraries and bookstores, prints books on order as the customer waits.)
- Elite – This $7,754 package offers everything in the Best-Seller package plus more, including e-book printing and distribution, a hardcover edition of your book, press release service, a video book trailer posted on YouTube and other sites, and an ad in the Christian Book Browser Catalogue, which reaches 10,000 Christian bookstores and churches across the country.
Xulon also offers a number of individual services, such as:
- Book Tours – Your book will be displayed at book expos such as the London Book Fair, Book Expo America and the Frankfurt International Book Fair. No price is listed for this service.
- Salem Banner Advertising Campaign – For $399, your book will be featured in a “banner advertisement campaign on TWO premier Christian websites, Christianity.com and Sermonsearch.com.”
- Book Signing Kit – This $399 kit gives you 250 bookmarks, 250 postcards, 25 posters and 5 book displays to “hold a book signing in grand style.”
- e-Book Publishing and Online distribution Service – For $399, Xulon will make your book available in e-book format for the Apple iBook Store, Amazon Kindle, Sony e-Reader, Barnes & Nobel Nook and Borders Kobo e-Reader.
Xulon was founded in 2000, and in 2006 was purchased by Salem Communications, “a leading radio broadcaster, Internet content provider and magazine publisher serving the growing audience interested in Christian and family themed content for air, online, and in print.” Here’s how Xulon summarizes it selling points on its website, in its own words:
- Beautiful book cover design
- Professionally formatted interior text
- ISBN for bookstore availability
- Christian book marketing and advertising programs
- Lightning-fast printing process
- No minimum book order necessary
- Paperback, hardcover and e-book editions available
- Author-friendly, no obligation self publishing contract
- 100% royalty paid directly to you quarterly
- 24/7 Online Author Center
- Christian staff who will care about your book
You maintain ownership of your work, as it states in Xulon’s Publishing Services Agreement: “Xulon Press acquires no right of ownership to the Work under this agreement and the Author shall own full and complete copyright to the Work.”
We at Taylor-Fox can help you create your business book, health book, memoir, biography, inspirational book or other book and get it ready for publication. We’ve helped scores of people achieve their goals, and some of their books have landed on bestseller lists. Let us help you! Call us at 818-594-0379.
Note: All the information in this blog entry came from the company website. Before signing on with Xulon or any other firm, read the contract carefully and check review sites to see if there are any problems or special issues regarding this firm. I’ll deal with these issues in future blogs.
Nadine Taylor and Barry Fox write, ghostwrite, rewrite and edit books in many genres, including health, business, inspiration/ spirituality and memoirs. Their resume is long and varied but there’s one thing that never changes: They love to work with words, creating books that are clear, compelling and pleasurable to read. If you’re interested in writing a book, editing a book and/or publishing a book, you’ve come to the right place!
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