An author bought his own book to get higher on bestseller lists. Is that fair?

Author Mark Dawson has attracted criticism after bulk buying his own book gave him a high chart position. But that isn’t breaking any rulesFor any author, being able to describe yourself as a bona fide bestseller is key to conferring your career with a certain gravitas – and will often bring you even more sales. In the UK, while most book charts are tallied by Nielsen BookScan, the Sunday Times bestseller list – like the New York Times chart in the US – has become the gold standard. But making the bestseller list isn’t necessarily as straightforward as tallying sales. Not all is fair in romance and war (and other genres) when it comes to getting to the top of the charts.Take the case of Mark Dawson, a British writer who just over a week ago hit No 8 on the Sunday Times hardback list with his thriller The Cleaner, released by the independent publisher Welbeck at the end of June. This is a great achievement for any author or small publishing house, but Dawson had done something remarkable: he bought 400 copies of his own book, at a cost of £3,600, to push his sales high enough to make the top 10. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-07-20 15:59:35 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "An author bought his own book to get higher on bestseller lists. Is that fair?"


Lockdown TV: Netflix Dominates, News Surges and Bea Arthur Is Still Golden

But after a peak in March, the audience has started to shrink. “There’s only so much content people can consume,” a Nielsen executive says. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-04-30 21:29:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Nielsen: TV-Related Tweets Are Up Nearly Across the Board During Covid-19

Tweets about television are up in nearly every category from March 1 through April 15 compared with the same time last year, largely driven by the coronavirus pandemic, Nielsen found in a study, but one category stands out as a glaring exception: sports. Nielsen Social Content Ratings found that... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2020-04-28 12:05:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Walliams' Slime slithers to the charts' top spot

David Walliams' Slime (HarperCollins Children's) has leapfrogged Mrs Hinch's The Little Book of Lists (Michael Joseph) at the top of the UK Official Top 50 through Nielsen BookScan's TCM, for the comedian-turned-author's 57th week atop the chart. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-14 13:04:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Mrs Hinch dust-busts into the top spot, with Nielsen data still incomplete

Mrs Hinch's The Little Book of Lists (Michael Joseph) has swept straight into the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, ending the four-week reign of Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and the Light (Fourth Estate) at the top. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-07 17:08:28 UTC ]
More news stories like this


TV Time Spikes for Kids Stuck at Home During Coronavirus

It's no surprise that as Americans across the country are being told to stay home or shelter in place, national television usage is up. But new data from Nielsen shows that kids are spending considerably more time in front of the television than other audience demos--and many of them are playing... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2020-03-27 17:50:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Mantel maintains top spot as print market hangs on

Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and the Light (Fourth Estate) has held the UK Official Top 50 number one spot for a third week running, selling 30,280 copies through Nielsen BookScan's TCM. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-23 20:03:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Nosy Crow acquires 10 children’s books by Pamela Butchart

Independent publisher Nosy Crow has acquired 10 new titles from the award-winning author and schoolteacher Pamela Butchart. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-17 11:26:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this


The Mirror and the Light shines with huge first-week sales

Hilary Mantel’s conclusion to her Thomas Cromwell trilogy sold more than 95,000 copies in three daysHilary Mantel’s much-anticipated The Mirror and the Light has been selling a copy every 2.7 seconds since its release last Thursday, with the final book in the two-time Booker winner’s trilogy... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-03-10 18:55:55 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Amazon Charts: Mantel maintains Most-Sold number one

Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and the Light (Fourth Estate) has held the Amazon Charts' Most-Sold: Fiction top spot for a second week, the same week the eagerly awaited title sold 95,141 copies across all print editions through Nielsen BookScan's TCM. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-10 16:43:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Comma Press awarded £50k from Greater Manchester Culture Fund

Independent publisher Comma Press and Manchester Literature Festival have been awarded grants from the Greater Manchester Culture Fund. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-03-05 07:22:17 UTC ]
More news stories like this


April Lit Fest at the University of Oklahoma

News and Events WLT Bestselling Pakistani author Mohsin Hamid will visit the University of Oklahoma April 6 through 8 for the 2020 Puterbaugh Lit Fest hosted by World Literature Today magazine. Events start on April 6 with a conversation about... Continue reading at World Literature Today

[ World Literature Today | 2020-03-02 22:05:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Clive Cussler obituary

Prolific author of fast-paced thrillers, including Raise the Titanic!, featuring the adventure hero Dirk PittThe prolific and popular novelist Clive Cussler, who has died aged 88, combined adventure and technology into fast-paced thrillers. Ubiquitous and easily recognisable on airport... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-02-27 16:45:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Bestselling author and real-life Hemingway hero Clive Cussler has died.

Clive Cussler, the author of more than 85 books, written over 4 decades, died at home on Monday, February 24, at the age of 88. Cussler was a major bestseller in his lifetime, selling over 100 million copies of his thrillers and adventure novels, and hitting The New York Times‘s bestseller list... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-02-26 20:05:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Riverdale Avenue Books Acquires Circlet Press

Independent publisher Riverdale Avenue Books has acquired the assets of Circlet Press, an independent small press focused on science-fiction and fantasy works with sex-positive erotic themes. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-02-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Mountaineers Books Names New Publisher as It Turns 60

As Mountaineers Books—the independent publisher of outdoor recreation, sustainable lifestyle, and conservation books—turns 60, it shifts around its staff. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-02-25 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Walker Books leads 2020 Carnegie and Kate Greenaway longlists

Independent publisher Walker Books leads this year’s CILIP Carnegie and Kate Greenaway Medals longlists for the second year running, with 10 entries. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-19 23:34:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Eye Books unveils digital list Lightning Bolts

Independent publisher Eye Books has unveiled a digital-first fiction list, Lightning Bolts. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-19 15:02:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Sphere unveils new Robert Galbraith: Troubled Blood

The title and publication date of the new Robert Galbraith novel, featuring Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, has been revealed by Sphere. The fifth book is Troubled Blood and will come out in hardback on 29th September 2020. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-02-18 21:18:01 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Beer is no longer cool, says Nielsen, but these drinks are

The year in drinking is shaping up to be fizzy and bright-colored. The good people at Nielsen measure more than TV viewership: They also know a lot about drinking! Here’s what they say you can expect to see in beer aisles and bars and restaurants this year.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2020-01-29 12:43:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Do you even love books if you haven’t collected all of these independent bookseller cards?

Canadian independent publisher (and bookstore!) Biblioasis has printed up a limited run of indie bookseller trading cards, featuring heroic comic book portraits of prominent booksellers. Why? Well, for starters, this week is the annual independent booksellers conference in Baltimore, the ABA’s... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-01-21 13:40:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this