Author:
When I was in publishing, a NYT best seller was listed before it had even been written. Of course none of the major newspapers carried the story about the gaff. Among the independent publishers the story made the rounds but then we already knew publishing was as much political and who each publisher courted which book reviewer to get their books ranked at the top of everyone's list. Lavish vacations, no expenses, and other great things for those who review books was normal.You probably won't read about the latest smooze on the NYT best seller list in any newspaper so allow me to clue you in to the politics of publishing.
Her book, which was published April 2, is number 1,030 on Amazon’s list of top sellers and has only three reviews on the site. It similarly ranks 1,244 on Barnes and Noble where signed copies are being sold for less than the suggested retail for unsigned copies.
https://dailycaller.com/2019/04/14/valerie-jarrett-book-mani...
Money and politics might not buy happiness but it sure can buy you a spot on the NYT Best Seller list. And you thought writing a great story and selling a million copies was what did it? Silly writers!
always
Barb
Comments
It is always the same
Barb, the devil shits on the largets pile.
Publishing has and always will be something, that writers will not understand. After all, if WE and our readers did understand it, people like the more influential publishing houses would not have such influence and people like Amazon would not be able to try and monopolise the market with the pittance, they let authors have.
With a world as is, those who are good salespeople (like Mr. Gates, for example) will sell you shit for the price of Gold, get rich doing it and try to even enslave you in the process. Brave new world indeed. Dance around the golden calf? More like dance around virtual monetary values, that will evaporate when SHTF and rightly so.
Good to know, though, that at least some people still are aware and talk about it. Thanks, hun,
Monique.
Monique S
NYT bestseller list has been
NYT bestseller list has been a fraud for years yet people ignore it...not a shock, when you consider how many publishing companies are owned by media conglomerates and how arbitrary they make the list with known bogus information and not even trying to hide their bias against authors that they personally dislike or whose views don't tout what they want. It's all a load of crap that has no actual meaning- it's all a marketing ploy! The only reason it still survives in this era is that ignorant people still think that it means something when it really doesn't mean anything to anyone.
Ms. Jarrett got her deal due to who she was rather than what she could say, they aren't too high on her and she wasn't all that important to the Obama legacy so they didn't have to fluff her ranking just to make friends look better or improve her sales. The others on the list need the help, she has a limited market that's fading fast while they may have a larger, more lucrative impact thus "earned" the higher ranking.
I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime
libraries pay attention to best seller lists
With limited resources small local libraries tend to buy best sellers as the books most people want to read. Unfortunately I can't stand many of them. It's one of the worst things about no longer being able to afford books. Fake best sellers are probably even less interesting.
Major Newspapers, Libraries receive free copies
When a book goes to print, a couple thousand copies are sent out with notations on the cover "illegal to sell" or "for review only". Most major libraries and newspapers receive a copy for review. Seldom does that particular book make it to the book shelves. Provided the librarian who was punished or rewarded into reading the book likes it. They make the recommendation to either purchase and stock it or ignore it. Keep in mind libraries have limited book shelf so as new titles are brought in, old ones are sold in the library charity drive.
Independent authors who personally visit libraries and book stores are more likely to have their book put on the shelf. Bearing in mind that first book was a freebie in the hope of selling more when readers tell their friends about that great book they had read. But it isn't on the shelf because it is out in someone's hands.
Writing is the easy part. Selling your story is a business very few writers understand.
Thank God for sites like BCTS where writers get their feet wet and read comments about whether their story is viable or not. There are writers here who are better than the top novelists supported by the big publishing houses.
always,
Barb
Oklahoma born and raised cowgirl
Thank the Goddess.
Thank the Goddess for BCTS. I have found a lot of really awesome authors here. If I remember correctly, I actually found it via Kindle Unlimited. I was using Kindle Unlimited extensively, partially because of my bad finances and partially because the "People who bought this..." recommendations were pointing me to many more stories I liked. Eventually, when my finances got better for a bit I bought a few of the Gaby books, loved them, did some research and discovered they were available for free on Maddy's site, and later on this site. I tried BCTS out and fell in love.
And I discovered that many of my favorite Kindle Unlimited authors were here. Yay!
BCTS and the authors here, both beginners and experienced, are absolutely awesome.
I can
Never understand quite how some 'authors' get publishing deals without any previous form.
I would never claim to be a brilliant writer but so much dross is put out by supposed 'best selling' brands you have to wonder if they are trying to dumb down the readers. I've been self publishing for over ten years now, new releases often get quite high on the Amazon sales lists - no doubt they would be higher with big brand promotion but i'm poor and rely on word of mouth.
One tactic is to have 'best seller' emblazoned on the cover - apparently those two words count more than the content.
Mads
Madeline Anafrid Bell
You have to consider for a moment...
Money paid for writing a book are often tax free... And for any prosecution expert stating that book was crap and not worth millions paid in advance you could provide NYT bestseller list and another renowned expert that will state that your book is the best ever written.
Another big scam is the pay for the public appearances... Also almost impossible to prove anything.