I'm a bookseller and rarely, if ever, look at the NY Times bestseller list. I read Shelf Awareness Pro every day. I also read weekly emails from LItHub and the Center for Fiction, as well as following authors and book posters on Instagram (my account is readwithprplbarb, where I review and recommend books). I also read book jacket summaries to determine if the subject matter of a book is appealing. Many authors who I love were not on "The List". So from my perspective, you are 100% correct that the NY Times Bestseller List should not be an author's goal. Thank you for this insughtful and pragmatic advice.
I love the way you pull back the veil on things! And will be so curious to read your book (to see what’s behind even the veil you pull back here in these newsletters, as it were). And I wonder: in the shift from agent to client (for this book), is anything you’re observing maki g you think differently about your own age ting practice, or agenting practices in general?
Agree with everything until the last paragraph. It’s shown again and again that publisher support is the primary thing that moves the needle. Authors can only do so much — otherwise we would all self publish and reap the profits.
This may be my favorite newsletter from you yet! Content⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ but, as a writer, it’s the voiciness I just LOVE. So fun and kind of breathless. Is that the negronis?🤣
Great article, reminding us that "bestseller" lists likely distract us from the many other great titles that are out there that won't ever make such lists. Being on a list doesn't necessarily equate to meaningful impact on readers, either, which is what I, as a writer, really care about. (How many trendy Business titles are bought just for appearance, to sit on someone's desk or shelf without ever being opened?)
From what I understand, the USA Today bestseller list is not a list for indie authors. It once had a lot of indie authors on the list because it was based on sales numbers alone, unlike NYT which refuses to include most if not all indie authors no matter what their sales may be. But now, since the USAT list has returned, indie authors are no longer making the list based on higher sales as they once did. Now WSJ is the only list that seems to include indie authors, but only if print sales are significant.
An excellent piece today! I’m one of the lucky ones to have NYT in my bio. I do not take that for granted for a second. It does open doors—but it also raises the level of expectation and if the next book doesn’t hit the list, nor the one after that, your trajectory changes. It’s a great goal, for sure—but it’s much healthier to have goals you are in control of. You have absolutely zero control over the list. But you do have control over your work. Write the best book you can, every time. My goal is finishing. Finishing keeps you in the game — and staying in the game is what makes your career. Not the list.
Somehow making it onto the List has never been my goal. I love to write and I don't want to miss any of the other myriad markers of success that are possible.
oh how bad I needed to read this! thank you for this post. As a non-fiction author who been having trouble landing an agent because of having a small platform, this reminds me that my goal is simply to publish books consistently even if they don't make the list.
I'm a bookseller and rarely, if ever, look at the NY Times bestseller list. I read Shelf Awareness Pro every day. I also read weekly emails from LItHub and the Center for Fiction, as well as following authors and book posters on Instagram (my account is readwithprplbarb, where I review and recommend books). I also read book jacket summaries to determine if the subject matter of a book is appealing. Many authors who I love were not on "The List". So from my perspective, you are 100% correct that the NY Times Bestseller List should not be an author's goal. Thank you for this insughtful and pragmatic advice.
I love the way you pull back the veil on things! And will be so curious to read your book (to see what’s behind even the veil you pull back here in these newsletters, as it were). And I wonder: in the shift from agent to client (for this book), is anything you’re observing maki g you think differently about your own age ting practice, or agenting practices in general?
Thank you for posting this. As a driven, Type A, first time non-fiction author, I felt my shoulders relax just the tiniest bit. 💝
Agree with everything until the last paragraph. It’s shown again and again that publisher support is the primary thing that moves the needle. Authors can only do so much — otherwise we would all self publish and reap the profits.
This may be my favorite newsletter from you yet! Content⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ but, as a writer, it’s the voiciness I just LOVE. So fun and kind of breathless. Is that the negronis?🤣
Great article, reminding us that "bestseller" lists likely distract us from the many other great titles that are out there that won't ever make such lists. Being on a list doesn't necessarily equate to meaningful impact on readers, either, which is what I, as a writer, really care about. (How many trendy Business titles are bought just for appearance, to sit on someone's desk or shelf without ever being opened?)
Thank you! Really good article and a really good message we need to remember as authors.
I'd love to know what the impact of Tik Tok or booktok is on the New York times' algorithm
From what I understand, the USA Today bestseller list is not a list for indie authors. It once had a lot of indie authors on the list because it was based on sales numbers alone, unlike NYT which refuses to include most if not all indie authors no matter what their sales may be. But now, since the USAT list has returned, indie authors are no longer making the list based on higher sales as they once did. Now WSJ is the only list that seems to include indie authors, but only if print sales are significant.
great post. thank you for sharing
Brilliant. Thank you x
An excellent piece today! I’m one of the lucky ones to have NYT in my bio. I do not take that for granted for a second. It does open doors—but it also raises the level of expectation and if the next book doesn’t hit the list, nor the one after that, your trajectory changes. It’s a great goal, for sure—but it’s much healthier to have goals you are in control of. You have absolutely zero control over the list. But you do have control over your work. Write the best book you can, every time. My goal is finishing. Finishing keeps you in the game — and staying in the game is what makes your career. Not the list.
The dealmaking hair flip though!
Somehow making it onto the List has never been my goal. I love to write and I don't want to miss any of the other myriad markers of success that are possible.
Love this post, as always!
oh how bad I needed to read this! thank you for this post. As a non-fiction author who been having trouble landing an agent because of having a small platform, this reminds me that my goal is simply to publish books consistently even if they don't make the list.
This is so perfect! Hilarious and smart. And I can’t wait to pre order your book and tell people about it.
Loved the article! Thank you so much!