Writing in English : The Chicago Manual of Style

What has been your experience with self-publishing a book and can you recommend a good company to work with on a project? | LinkedIn: "Did you know there is a manual called 'The Chicago Manual of Style?' This 921 pg (including index) manual is used for book publishing. She showed me that in reference books, lists of three or more items must have a comma before the 'and.' This ommission will trigger a book rejection from a publisher and makes a self published book look unprofessional. Magazines require the 'AP Style Guide' that eliminates the comma before the 'and.' (Bill Pirtle)"