What is with the New York Times Bestseller List?
Am I the only one who is perplexed that every book I see seems to be on the New York Times Bestseller list? I can hardly walk through a bookstore without being blinded by the bestseller badges staring at me from every cover. And I've always wondered; what does it take to get on “The List” and how are so many books on it?
Well, wonder no more because I found the answers and it may be more surprising than you think.
It turns out, how a book gets on “The List” is actually a well guarded industry secret.
Well… maybe that’s a little dramatic but, according to the New York Times themselves, the rankings are reflective of data gathered on the sales of book titles across thousands of bookstores, online stores, and even big-box retail chains. Essentially, retailers voluntarily report their sales of book titles to the New York Times and from there the Times compiles the data and statistically weighs it to more accurately reflect the national sales of a given title.
What’s so secret about making “The List” is that there is no magic number of sales that guarantees a spot at the top. Each book competes against one another for a rank based on weekly, monthly, or annual sales. The only secrecy here is that the Times doesn’t publicly share information on their statistical methods to weigh sales proportionally.
This can be a point of contention and criticism amongst avid bibliophiles (AKA bookworms) since the analysis does not seem to favor titles that sell consistently well over time. The writers and industry experts who are much smarter than me at novlr.org also point out that “The List” is more likely to chart fast-selling books over those that may have more lifetime sales but never really peak in weekly, monthly, or even annual sales.
It’s also worth mentioning that becoming a New York Times Bestseller means you’re more likely to stay a Bestseller. For instance, a newly released book may gain a spike in initial popularity that gives it a space on the list. Once they get that coveted Bestseller sticker on the cover, it’s more likely that readers will want to know what the fuss is all about and start grabbing copies as well. This can perpetuate and extend the amount of time that book stays on the charts.
Lastly, it’s not just one list (misleading based on the name, I know); it’s actually a collection of lists for different genres and formats. This seems fair given that you wouldn’t want your cookbook competing against Rebecca Yarros’ newest release.
So really, it turns out the bestseller label is as much about consumer habits as it is about quality of the book. And the Bestseller badge doesn’t mean a book is good or bad—but it does mean it’s caught the wave.
