The top 10 out-of-print books in the US

The Monitor recently blogged about a new life for out-of-print book "A Lion Called Christian" ("Straight from YouTube to book"), but now BookFinder.com is reporting that two more titles on its top 10 out-of-print book list will also re-released in 2009.

"Once a Runner: A Novel," "A Lion Called Christian," and "Comanche Heart" had all gone out of print but are now set for new releases next year due to heavy demand from readers. Two more titles would have been on the top 1o 2008 out-of-print list ("The Lion's Paw" and "Football Scouting Methods") except for the fact that they were brought back into print this fall.

"From 98 to 99% of all books ever published are now out-of-print, so they don't show up in traditional bestseller lists," says Anirvan Chatterjee, BookFinder.com founder. "Without big marketing budgets behind them, these books have been getting buzz the old-fashioned way: reader word of mouth."

"A Lion Called Christian" was also helped by a surge of Internet interest in a piece of 1970s film posted on YouTube featuring two men and their reunion with their pet lion cub Christian after he was grown and returned to the wild. More than 44 million viewers have now watched the film.

Not surprisingly, publishers are interested in republishing the book telling Christian's story.

Here are the top 10 most sought-after out of print books in America, according to BookFinder.com:

1)  "Once a Runner: A Novel" (1978) by John L. Parker, Jr.; cult classic
distance running novel, coming back into print April 2009
(BookFinder.com Report 2008 #1 Fiction and Literature title)

2)  "Sex" (1992) by Madonna; the pop icon's book of erotic photos, a
perennial favorite (BookFinder.com Report 2008 #1 Arts and Music
title)

3)  "Promise Me Tomorrow" (1984) by Nora Roberts; early novel that the
bestselling romance novelist refuses to reprint (BookFinder.com Report
2008 #2 Fiction and Literature title)

4)  "Murmurs of Earth: The Voyager Interstellar Record" (1978) by Carl
Sagan; the first great era of space exploration (BookFinder.com Report
2008 #1 Popular Science and Technology title)

5)  "Carpentry for Beginners: How to use tools, basic joints, workshop
practice, designs for things to make" (1900) by Charles H. Hayward;
prolific carpentry author and former mayor of Victoria, British
Columbia

6)  "A Lion Called Christian" (1972) by Anthony "Ace" Bourke and John
Rendall; a memoir about a pet lion, coming back into print April 2009,
the video featuring a reunion between Christian and the authors become
a YouTube sensation earlier this year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjWtRYaxmWM

7)  "Comanche Heart" (1991) by Catherine Anderson; coming back into print
June of 2009, "Comanche Heart" is the second book in the Comanche
series; in 2008, the first book, "Comanche Moon" was reissued and
placed on the "New York Times" bestseller list

8)  "Legally Sane" (1972) by Jon K. Hahn with Harold C. McKenney;
investigation of an international killing spree and the chilling
accounts of a psychopathic murderer (BookFinder.com Report 2008 #1
Mysteries and Thrillers title)

9)  "Woodworker's Essential Shop Aids and Jigs; Original Devices You Can
Make" (1992) by Robert Wearing; indispensable resource for "do it
yourself" craftsmen

10) "The Principles of Knitting: Methods and Techniques of Hand Knitting"
(1989) by June Hemmons Hiatt; ultimate comprehensive handbook for the
knitters (BookFinder.com Report 2008 #3 Crafts, Hobbies and How-To
title)