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 ]
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True stories inspire book prize wins

Real-life historical adventures inspire both winners of this years CILIP Carnegie & Kate Greenaway medals, Tanya Landman and William Grill. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This Publishing Startup Wants To Crowdfund Books For Indie Bookstores

Inkshares, a crowdfunded book publishing platform, is working with indie bookstores to help them launch their own imprints.A fledgling publishing company is offering a new tool to indie bookstores: crowdfunded imprints.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S launch new series by Dork Diaries author

Simon & Schuster UK has acquired a new series by Rachel Renée Russell, author of the Dork Diaries series. The Misadventures of Max Crumbly is about a boy called Max and his dailyups and downs at South Ridge Middle School. After being home-schooled by his grandmother Max begs to go to... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PRH to publish colouring books based on classic novels

Penguin Random House (PRH) Children’s will this autumn release a series of colouring books for a crossover audience based on classic novels. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Salt and Seren authors among Jerwood winners

Two independent presses are among those celebrating after eight authors were chosen as winners of the Jerwood Fiction Uncovered Prize. Jo Mazelis, published by Seren, and Carys Davies, published by Salt, were two of the eight authors who will each receive £5,000. The prize, set up to celebrate... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Deals: Week of June 22, 2015

Atria Goes to ‘The Other Side’ with Bishop and more in this week's notable book deals. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Picks: Books of the Week, June 22, 2015

This week: Milan Kundera's latest, Don Winslow's epic of the Mexican drug wars, and a Dickensian novel about Dickens. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: June 22, 2015

Jimmy Fallon appears on this week's PW Bestseller lists. Plus big weeks for 'The Martian' and books that Tony-winning plays. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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IPA urges protection for Greece's book market

The International Publishers Association (IPA) has urged Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis to protect the country’s reading and book culture during the ongoing financial crisis. In a letter, IPA secretary general Jens Bammel wrote of how the Greek publishing industry has “suffered... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Coloring Book Phenomenon Takes Over Brazil

In Brazil this past April and May, 17.34% of all books sold were coloring books — a genre which has dominated the bestseller lists for months. The post The Coloring Book Phenomenon Takes Over Brazil appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In 2018, this publisher will only release books by women. Here's why.

After attending a panel discussion on 'The Crisis of American Fiction,' in which an all-male panel discussed only male authors for an entire hour, author Kamila Shamsie began to research the dearth of women in publishing and literary fiction. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Paul Bacon dies at 91; he revolutionized the design of book covers

Paul Bacon's name may be unfamiliar, but anyone who has browsed the bestseller racks over the last 60 years knows his work. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Recession, Inflation Combine to Pop Brazilian Book Bubble

High inflation offset gains, leading to a 5.16% decline for the Brazilian book market in 2014, which totaled just US$2.03 billion. The post Recession, Inflation Combine to Pop Brazilian Book Bubble appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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For TV shows based on books or comics, fans are a mixed blessing

During a recent talk show chat, "Game of Thrones" actress Maisie Williams revealed she had listened to fans' online opinions when crafting her scrappy Arya Stark character, originally written as a left-handed swordswoman in George R.R. Martin's book series. "The fans are so die-hard; they're... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A reading from the Book of Desmond: and lo, Richard created the Beckhams

Media mogul Richard Desmond’s typically self-effacing new autobiography shows how he took virtual unknowns David and Victoria and made it all OK!A rival emerges to the claim that Al Gore invented the internet. It turns out that Richard Desmond invented the Beckhams. Please adjust your records... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bugging Out: The Must-Read Insect Books of the Summer

A preview of some great fiction and non-fiction books published this summer. The post Bugging Out: The Must-Read Insect Books of the Summer appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2015-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Guild Calls for Higher Royalties, Contract Limits

The Authors Guild has outlined some of the "egregious terms" of current contract boilerplates it plans to address in its Fair Contract Initiative, first announced May 28 during BookExpo America. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barbeque book to Little, Brown

Little, Brown has acquired a new cookery title form the founders of barbecue brand, Grillstock. Publishing director signed World rights in Grillstock: The Bar-B-Q Book by Jon Finch and Ben Merrington from Clive Wilson at Harris and Wilson. The book will feature 100 recipes inspired by Deep... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bruno Munari Will Make You Fall In Love With Books All Over Again

A Kindle is no match for the Italian artist and graphic designer's mixed-media tomes.With some books, reading on a screen is virtually the same as on paper. Swipe or turn a page and you'll see words organized into sentences organized into paragraphs organized into chapters. Not so with the work... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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iBooks Bestsellers: ‘Grey’ Stays on Top

Though not yet on sale, 'Grey,' the next installment in E.L. James’s Fifty Shades of Grey series, took the #1 spot on Apple’s iBooks bestseller list for the second week in a row. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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