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?"


In China: Bookselling Trends and OpenBook’s Bestseller Lists for October

China bestsellers: As publisher-owned bookstores are on the rise, so are "shared bookstores" where customers are allowed to borrow books. The post In China: Bookselling Trends and OpenBook’s Bestseller Lists for October appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-11-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Get 'Kali Linux 2 -- Assuring Security by Penetration Testing, 3rd Edition' ($22 value) FREE for a limited time

Achieve the gold standard in penetration testing with Kali using this great ebook, now in its third edition! Kali Linux is a comprehensive penetration testing platform with advanced tools to identify, detect, and exploit the vulnerabilities uncovered in the target network environment. SEE ALSO:... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2017-11-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


'Bad Dad' sales go mad at top of bestseller chart

David Walliams’ Bad Dad (HarperCollins) has accelerated by 21% in volume week-on-week for its second week in the Official UK Top 50 number one spot, selling 112,672 copies through Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-11-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Does Anybody Know What a Bestseller Is?

There are more bestseller lists than ever—and the consequences for publishing remain unclear. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-11-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Pullman claims first number one with La Belle Sauvage

Philip Pullman’s La Belle Sauvage (Penguin and David Fickling), the first title in his His Dark Materials “equel” The Book of Dust, has crashed into the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Dan Brown's Origin makes a strong start in UK bookshops

Although not quite the sensation of previous Robert Langdon thrillers, The Da Vinci Code author’s latest mystery sold 100,000 copies in its first week Dan Brown’s mastery of something like a code for bestsellers has returned to cheer UK booksellers, with more than 100,000 copies of his latest... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


'Origin' bursts into the charts with 100,000 copies sold

Dan Brown’s Origin (Bantam) has cracked the code to the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, selling 100,095 copies for £1m according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-10-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


OpenBook’s China Bestseller Lists for August 2017: Delivery Races

As we roll out this month's bestseller lists from China, the country's second-largest e-retailer, JD.com, is holding a competition to engineer book delivery by drones. The post OpenBook’s China Bestseller Lists for August 2017: Delivery Races appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Five goes fourth: Jamie Oliver serves up 60th number one

Jamie Oliver’s 5 Ingredients (Michael Joseph) has once again claimed the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, selling 54,605 copies for £648,673, according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Five alive: Jamie Oliver spends third week at number one

Jamie Oliver’s 5 Ingredients: Quick & Easy Food (Michael Joseph) has rustled up another week in the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, selling 56,966 copies for £675,321 according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


High 5: Jamie tops the chart again

Jamie Oliver has continued his blistering return to form, shifting 52,211 copies of 5 Ingredients: Quick and Easy Food (Michael Joseph) last week through Nielsen BookScan's Total Consumer Market to take the Official UK number one by almost 40,000 units.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Claiming Liberal Bias, Pub Drops Association with 'NYT' Bestseller Lists

Marji Ross, president of the conservative press Regnery Publishing, sent a letter to her authors saying the paper "prioritizes liberal-themed books over conservative books." For this reason, the bonus structure in her house's contracts will now rely on a different list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


It’s all about Me, Inc – how to get ahead in the age of egonomics

In a world ruled by social media, online image is the key to success, and now a host of services are springing up to optimise your personal brand – by supplying fake followers, monetising your pets or revealing how to write an Amazon bestseller overnightSo you want to write a bestselling book?... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


A famous 5: Jamie roars back to number one

The starting pistol for the race to Christmas number one has sounded and Jamie Oliver is out of the blocks early, with his 5 Ingredients: Quick and Easy Food (Michael Joseph) shifting just under 37,000 units through Nielsen BookScan's Total Consumer Market in its first two days on sale. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


iBooks Bestsellers: 'Soul Mate' Finds Its #1

The end of the summer and the beginning of the school year finds a mixed bag of ebooks hitting the Apple iBooks store's bestseller list, including Kendall Ryan's self-published romance at #1. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


On Bestseller Lists in India: ‘Which One Should You Trust?’

From Scroll.in: Consumers in India are presented, as in other countries with sometimes conflicting bestselling book lists. The post On Bestseller Lists in India: ‘Which One Should You Trust?’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-08-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


New indie Charco Press launches

A new independent publisher is launching this month to showcase contemporary Latin American literature in translation to “expose the UK reader to new and exciting voices” featuring authors never before published in English. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Potter playscript pips rivals to the post

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (Sphere) has bewitched the UK Official Top 50 for a second week, holding the number one spot with 23,711 copies sold, according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Philip Pullman leads writers condemning 'pernicious' book discounts

His Dark Materials novelist says today’s steep price cuts devalue authors’ work and cheapen the experience of readingWith more than two months to go before Philip Pullman’s long-awaited new novel from the world of His Dark Materials is published, pre-orders have sent La Belle Sauvage flying up... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this