Contact Us

Use the form on the right to contact us.

You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right. 


Silver Spring, MD
United States

888-577-9342

Stories To Tell is a full service book publishing company for independent authors. We provide editing, design, publishing, and marketing of fiction and non-fiction. We specialize in sophisticated, unique illustrated book design.

Stories To Tell Books BLOG

Self-Publishing Offers Opportunity for Authors

Nan Barnes






One of our Stories To Tell clients recently told me, “I want my book published by a big house and to be on Oprah Winfrey.”


I applauded her ambition, but had to tell her it’s getting harder and harder to publish with the traditional commercial publishers.


Publishers Weekly said 2009 would be the worst year in decades for the publishing industry.


At the same time there has been an explosive growth in non-traditional publishing including:




  • Independent Publishing ( presses with fewer than 10 titles per year)

  • Self-Publishing (DIY publishing by the author)


Some would be best-selling authors are learning that non-traditional publishing can lead to a contract with a commercial publisher. Among authors who achieved such success are:




  • Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard, The One Minute Manager

  • John Grisham, A Time to Kill

  • Irma Rombauer, The Joy of Cooking


Non-traditional publishing has also been good news for authors seeking a much smaller distribution. In 2008, independent publishers and authors who self-published books used print-on-demand services (books are not printed until an order is received) produce thousands of titles with runs of fewer than 75 copies. Top categories of small-run books include:




  • Family histories

  • Genealogies

  • Memoirs



Publishers Weekly article


For more on non-traditional publishing



Biff Barnes, Editor