| To very loosely paraphrase the Bard, what's in a | | | | increasingly influential in how sales are measured and |
| bestseller? | | | | bestseller lists are compiled. |
| That which we call a New York Times bestseller by | | | | While BookScan offers great insights into overall sales |
| any other name (such as "underground bestseller," or | | | | numbers and trends, it is not used exclusively (or |
| "Amazon bestseller") would smell as sweet-well, | | | | sometimes at all) in building the prestigious bestseller |
| maybe not. | | | | lists. The holy grail of bestseller lists is the one |
| As the number of books published each year | | | | published by the New York Times. The methodology |
| continues to skyrocket upwards, we face an | | | | behind how this list is built is kept rather hush-hush. |
| onslaught of "bestseller" claims. We see the word on | | | | But most reports on the subject agree that the New |
| marketing materials and press releases, on book | | | | York Times sends out a list of preselected trade |
| covers and websites, and, at Greenleaf Book Group, | | | | titles (meaning titles you would find in a bookstore, |
| on many submission forms each week. If this | | | | not the boring academic titles like medical and law |
| bestseller crown has not been awarded by one of | | | | books that generally outsell them) to a selected |
| the major publications, such as the New York Times, | | | | group of close to five thousand retailers and |
| the Wall Street Journal, or USA Today, what kind of | | | | wholesalers for them to record the books' weekly |
| bestseller is it? The publisher may be partaking in | | | | sales numbers. There are allegedly blank lines for the |
| sensationalist marketing-or just a stretch of the truth. | | | | recipients of this survey to write in titles not included |
| Whether the claim will benefit them or not depends | | | | on the form. That's a quaint thought, but from what |
| on whom the publisher is targeting with this | | | | I know about inventory managers, highly unlikely to |
| information. If the publisher intends to woo the | | | | come into practice often. |
| consumer with bestseller claims on the book cover, | | | | With any bestseller list, it's important to note that it's |
| yes, there's some chance it could help-although once | | | | a measurement of velocity of sales, not life of sales. |
| your happy customer discovers the "bestseller" isn't | | | | A book that moves five thousand copies in one |
| as well-known as she thought, there may be | | | | week is likely to make some list in some capacity |
| repercussions. However, and this is a HUGE | | | | when that week's numbers are run; however, a book |
| "however," a trumped-up claim of bestseller status | | | | that sells five hundred copies a week for ten weeks |
| could seriously hurt that publisher's reputation in the | | | | straight probably won't make any list at all. Lists also |
| eyes of wholesalers, distributors, agents, and other | | | | differ in how they categorize titles. For instance, the |
| parties in the tight-knit publishing industry, and that | | | | New York Times sorts by category (fiction, |
| harm could result in books not getting on shelves. | | | | nonfiction, children's) and format (hardcover, trade |
| Note to all small publishers making larger-than-life | | | | paper). On the other hand, USA Today's list lumps |
| bestseller claims: you're not pulling the wool over the | | | | them all together, from 1-150 by sales numbers, |
| industry's eyes. | | | | period. This means that a book listed at number one |
| Industry types have access to such fabulous tools as | | | | on the New York Times hardcover fiction list could |
| Nielsen's BookScan to research your sales history, | | | | be ranking in the triple digits on the USA Today list. |
| and they will certainly consult them (amongst other | | | | Amazon.com's ranking system is a whole separate |
| resources) to corroborate your claims before making | | | | article in itself. |
| a decision to support your title. BookScan is a | | | | Differences in list-building aside, the notable bestseller |
| point-of-sale reporting service thought to reflect sales | | | | lists are meant as a barometer of American culture. |
| from approximately 70 percent of booksellers | | | | No list is 100 percent accurate, and none purport to |
| nationally. BookScan uses weekly data from over | | | | be. Still, bestseller status on a major list is highly |
| 6,500 retail, mass-merchant, and non-traditional | | | | coveted, highly profitable, and highly protected |
| outlets in combination with a statistical weighting | | | | specifically so that the word "bestseller" does not |
| methodology to present the most accurate | | | | become meaningless. Use your sales history to |
| information on sell-through available to the publishing | | | | support your efforts to expand your publishing |
| industry. Certain notable accounts are missing, | | | | endeavors, but be wary of making unsubstantiated |
| including Wal-mart, Sam's Club, airport bookstores, | | | | bestseller claims lest you earn the wrath of industry |
| and Christian book retailers. Still, BookScan is a great | | | | types. Star-crossed lovers or not, that kind of |
| gauge of sell-through, and as such, it is becoming | | | | behavior can bring a plague on all your houses. |