Xlibris
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| Xlibris | |
|---|---|
| Type | Publishing services provider |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Founder | John Feldcamp |
| Headquarters | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Area served | Global |
| Industry | Printing |
| Website | http://www.xlibris.com/ |
Xlibris is a Philadelphia-based self-publishing[1] and on-demand printing services provider founded in 1997.[2] Since 2000, it is 49% owned by Random House.[3] According to the New York Times, it is the foremost on-demand publisher.[3] The founder and chief executive is John Feldcamp.[4]
[edit] Overview
Xlibris publishes hardback paper books, which have the overall appearance of a textbook and cost around $20.[3] As of 2000, it also published e-books in several formats.[4] Authors do not relinquish their rights, and the company will keep books in print "forever".[4] It is "nonselective" in accepting manuscripts[1], describes itself as a publishing services provider rather than a publisher, and considers a book's author its publisher.[2] Beginning in 2000, the company expanded its operations globally, opening full-service offices in Europe and Japan.[4]
Writer D.T. Max found in 2000 that Xlibris offered 1700 titles, whose quality he found better than its competitors: "It wasn't until I got to Xlibris that I found something to read." Sampling two titles, one of which had won an award in 1996, Max concluded that Xlibris "confirms that books worth reading do not always find a way into print." At the same time, Max was unable to select the titles using the Xlibris website, and phoned a company executive for a recommendation.[3]
Science fiction author Piers Anthony was an early supporter of print-on-demand, and invested in Xlibris[5], as well as publishing books through the company. Anthony differentiates Xlibris from "notorious vanity publishing" because it "enables any writer to publish for a nominal fee", rather than being "taken for huge amounts".[6] The company says that it does not require authors to buy "box loads of books", and unlike vanity presses, will help the author sell books indefinitely.[2]
Roland LaPlante, writing in Harper's Magazine, noted in 2001 that Xlibris's predicted future output of 100,000 titles a year would equal the number of all books published in the United States in 1999, and worried these "mostly dubious" works would "affect American publishing in every worst way and obliterate what remains of a genuine book culture."[7] The company countered that "everyone has a story to tell" and its output preserved the "richness of humanity."[7]
In 2008, Xlibris stated to have 20,000 titles in print, by more than 18,000 authors.[1]
The name is a derivation of the Latin term ex libris which means "from the library of".[2]
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Rachel Donadio: You’re an Author? Me Too! The New York Times, April 27, 2008
- ^ a b c d FAQ: About Xlibris. Xlibris.com. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ a b c d D. T. Max. "No More Rejections", The New York Times, July 16, 2000. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ a b c d M.J. Rose. "Xlibris Expands Globally", WIRED, October 31, 2000. Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ Interview with Piers Anthony. SFFWorld.com (2000-05-06). Retrieved on 2008-04-08.
- ^ Piers Anthony (2002). DoOon Mode. Macmillan. ISBN 0812575423.
- ^ a b Carol Alabaster (2002). Developing an outstanding core collection: a guide for libraries. ALA Editions. ISBN 0838908195.
