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 ]
News tagged with: #book charts #author bought #mark dawson #bestseller lists #attracted criticism #nielsen bookscan #gold standard #british writer #independent publisher #hardback #bestseller list #times bestseller #nielsen

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


HarperCollins Children's Books acquires four

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Mon, 14/02/2011 - 17:21 HarperCollins Childrens Books publishing director Helen Mackenzie Smith has bought her first books since joining the publisher from Random House earlier this year. She bought four books by picture author and illustrator Rachel... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #books acquires #harpercollins children #world rights #literary agency


Authors calls for moratorium on library closures

Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 11/02/2011 - 08:28 An open letter to culture secretary Jeremy Hunt and culture minister Ed Vaizey calling for a halt to library closures after the success of last weekend's protests has been signed by high-profile authors including Sarah... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #terry jones #kathy lette #jackie kay #malorie blackman #philip pullman #kate mosse #organisations including #reading agency #book groups #royal society


The Pitfalls of E-Book Buying: What to Look Out for Before You Purchase

Easy downloads and convenient storage are the chief lures of a virtual library, but ownership has some irritating downsides that require your attention before you hit the ebook purchase button. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #virtual library


Barbara Cartland is latest author to be wooed by digital

Written By: Lisa Campbell Publication Date: Fri, 11/02/2011 - 07:59 The estate of the romance writer Barbara Cartland has fallen to the embrace of digital, in a move that sees her print publisher suffering a painful rejection. About a quarter of Cartland's extensive ouevre is to be published... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #barbara cartland #latest author #published digitally #ebook format


Beautiful Books acquires two "major" autumn titles

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 10/02/2011 - 08:00 Beautiful Books has acquired two "major" non-fiction titles for autumn 2011, with one revisiting Orwell's Wigan Pier and another looking at one of the first people to recognise the Young British Artists (YBA). Publisher... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #non-fiction titles


Dominic Kingston to leave Macmillan Children's Books

Publication Date: Thu, 10/02/2011 - 07:55 Senior publicity manager Dominic Kingston is to leave Macmillan Children's Books (MCB) at the end of April. Kingston has been with the publisher since 2005, when he joined as publicity manager. Lauren Ace will join the team as publicity manager on 7th... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #books mcb #publicity manager #lauren ace #7th march #tiger press


UK bestsellers help Hachette prove resilient as ebooks rise in the US

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 10/02/2011 - 10:08 Bestsellers from Hachette UK helped limit the decline in sales at parent Lagardere Publishing, according to results filed by the French group, which is continuing to suffer from a year-on-year drop in sales of Stephenie... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk bestsellers #results filed #french group #year-on-year drop #stephenie meyer #e-books accounted


Truly impressive list for RNA

Publication Date: Thu, 10/02/2011 - 15:53 A “truly impressive” list of titles has been shortlisted for the Romantic Novelists' Association's Pure Passion Awards, with Elizabeth Chadwick, Kate Furnivall and Rebecca Dean up for two each. Chair of the RNA Katie Fforde announcd the shortlists today... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #elizabeth chadwick #impressive list #romantic novelists


Waterstone coy on bid for book chain

Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Mon, 07/02/2011 - 09:20 Tim Waterstone is reportedly pondering a bid to buy the bookstore he founded in 1982 with HMV billionaire investor Alexander Mamut. In the recent past, Waterstone has distanced himself from a bid saying while he would be... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book chain #recent past


French book sales down 1.5% in 2010

Written By: Barbara Casassus Publication Date: Mon, 07/02/2011 - 08:53 Sales of books in France fell by 1.5% in 2010 or 0.5% without taking account of book price inflation, according to French weekly Livres Hebdo’s indicators. After three years of increase, the decline came as retailing in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Will Apple Close the e-Book on Kindle?

Analysis: Apple is modifying its licensing policy, raising doubts that ebooks bought elsewhere will be readable on Apple devices. Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2011-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #apple devices #ebooks bought


Check Google Books data for errors, publishers warned

Written By: Caroline Horn Publication Date: Fri, 04/02/2011 - 09:01 Publishers are being warned to check their Google Books data online as thousands of titles have been mistakenly attributed to publisher BPR. Independent UK publisher Children’s Story Publishers spotted the mistake after its... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers warned #google books #early days


Emma Hopkin to leave Macmillan Children's Books

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Fri, 04/02/2011 - 16:42 Emma Hopkin, managing director of Macmillan children's books, is to leave the company on 21st April to "pursue an exciting new challenge elsewhere in children's publishing". Hopkin said: "It's been fantastic and I've... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #macmillan children #exciting opportunity


Penguin Children's Books creates new licensing wing

Written By: Benedicte Page A new Media and Entertainment group has been created within Penguin Children’s Books under newly promoted publishing director Eric Huang. The group combines the BBC Children's, Sunbird and Ladybird licensing teams. Penguin Children's Books m.d. Francesca Dow said... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #penguin children #benedicte page #entertainment group #bbc children #francesca dow


Goldsboro Books to double in size with new shop

Written By: Lisa Campbell Central London independent Goldsboro Books is expanding to a new premises more than double its size. The retailer, is currently based in Cecil Court in a 40 square metre premises. However, at the end of March the store is moving to a new site in the same street that is... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #goldsboro books #cecil court


ASA drops W H Smith R&J book club ad complaint

Written By: Lisa Campbell A complaint against a W H Smith advert for the Richard and Judy Book Club has not been upheld by the Advertising Standards Authority. The television broadcast, promoting the husband-and wife team’s exclusive deal with W H Smith to run Richard and Judy’s Book Club,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lisa campbell


Open Road to Publish Virginia Hamilton E-books

On February 15, Open Road Integrated Media will publish the first children’s titles in its “author branded program”: seven ebooks by Newbery Medal and National Book Award winner Virginia Hamilton, who died in 2002. Among the ebooks on the list are Newbery and NBA winner M.C. Higgins, the Great. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #newbery medal #open road


Random House buys book on BP oil crisis

Written By: Charlotte Williams Random House Books has acquired one of the first books on the Gulf of Mexico oil leak, Spills and Spin: The Inside Story of BP by Reuters oil-industry reporter Tom Bergin. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #inside story


Juliet Rogers to leave Murdoch Books

Written By: Graeme Neill Juliet Rogers, chief executive of food and illustrated publisher Murdoch Books, is stepping down from the publisher with immediate effect after 10 years in charge. She will be replaced by Bruce Haslett, who ran the Time Magazine and Sports Illustrated businesses of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-02-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #time magazine #murdoch books


It's a Digital Book World

There was no shortage of debates and discussions at last week's second annual Digital Book World, where about 1,300 members of the trade publishing industry turned out in New York to explore ways to navigate the digital transition. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital transition