| I have often mulled over the phrase don't | | | | Books section in 2001 to separate the Harry |
| judge a book by its cover' but I had never | | | | Potter series and clear out a space for other |
| thought it would be most apt for the | | | | titles in the number 1, 2 and 3 spots on |
| publishing industry where every other day you | | | | their Fiction list, which Harry Potter had |
| have a new best seller. And I say this | | | | been hogging for over a year! |
| because the term best seller is one of the | | | | |
| most abused terminologies in the publishing | | | | The New York Times collects both wholesale |
| field. Like many of you, I also went by what | | | | and retail data, thus being perhaps more |
| the name suggested - best seller - meaning a | | | | inclusive and closer to reality in terms of |
| book that perhaps sold the most or a book | | | | actual public popularity. |
| that sold over a million copies or an | | | | |
| equivalent number. But I was wrong. I was | | | | Then there is the Book Sense best seller |
| surprised to learn and perhaps now you are | | | | books which determine elite status only from |
| that there are NO set number of copies or any | | | | sales generated through independent book |
| standard formula that defines which is a best | | | | stores. I find this method of data collection |
| seller book. All well known lists use | | | | a bit skewed considering that some people |
| different criterion to determine which are | | | | only shop for books in the larger chains, |
| best seller books and which are not. | | | | never going inside their neighborhood book |
| | | | shop. |
| One theory that is gaining favor with the | | | | |
| majority is any book that is high on current | | | | Amazon, the giant online bookseller has yet |
| popularity charts may be called a best | | | | another way of naming best seller books on |
| seller. However, I am a bit skeptical with | | | | their list. Amazon updates its list every |
| that and not without reason. Who are the | | | | hour, with data collected on sales from their |
| people who figure in the popularity charts? | | | | own site. (How else could they update their |
| It is no secret that publishers use | | | | list so quickly?) |
| innovative marketing strategies, to influence | | | | |
| agents, editors, retailers, and buyers to | | | | In fact, many self-published authors use |
| affect the popularity of their books on sale. | | | | cleverly timed marketing campaigns where |
| | | | buyers receive something free from the |
| You'd also think that a book would have to be | | | | author, like an e-book or a free trial |
| terrifically good reading to gain best seller | | | | version of software, for purchases made on a |
| status, at least that's what I thought. Well, | | | | certain day in a certain time frame. All to |
| I was wrong again because the novel I read | | | | achieve, if only for an hour, a coveted spot |
| from last week's best seller books list was a | | | | on Amazon's top 100 best sellers list. |
| ho-hum read, and left me wondering if | | | | |
| something was wrong with me! | | | | So you can see there's many a way to |
| | | | construct a best seller books list. What's |
| I discovered that some lists usually have two | | | | number one on one list may never see the |
| divisions, fiction and non-fiction. In fact, | | | | light of day on another. So look over that |
| I was quite taken aback with the following | | | | book before snatching it off the shelf. See |
| piece of information: it's been reported that | | | | if what's inside is of interest to you and |
| The New York Times created their Children's | | | | yes never judge the book by its cover! |