Derek Thompson unravels the mystery of Fifty Shades’ mega-salesThere are no doubt plenty of people - but probably not as many as read the book - who simply can’t fathom how EL James can have sold more than 125m copies of Fifty Shades of Grey. Derek Thompson is here to help. The reason, it transpires, is pretty straightforward: a winning combination of social connection, five-star ebook reviews, the fan-fiction community and, finally, marketing. That might sound banal, but in Hit Makers, Thompson does a really fascinating job of explaining how things become popular, drawing on a wide range of cultural phenomena, from Star Wars to the iPhone, Taylor Swift to Game of Thrones. Reading its countless interesting references, it quickly becomes clear that Hit Makers is less a how-to guide – Thomson believes success is often “semichaotic” – and more a how-come? conversation with an engaging popular culture expert. The conclusion? Mere imitation rarely begets a hit, but the elusive combination of familiarity, innovation and marketing stands a better chance.• Hit Makers: How Things Become Popular by Derek Thompson is published by Allen Lane (£20). To order a copy for £15 go to bookshop.theguardian.com or call 0330 333 6846. Free UK p&p over £10, online orders only. Phone orders min p&p of £1.99 Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2017-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with:
#wide range
#star wars
#taylor swift
#online orders
Swedish crime writer Camilla Läckberg has seen international success since releasing her 2003 debut, Ice Princess (published in 2010 by Pegasus), and to date her books have been translated into 33 languages. In France, her 2008 novel The Drowning was the top title. Earlier this year, Pegasus... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#big hits
#international success
#top title
A novel of revolution, a graphic novel of Portland punk, and a photo book of the mosh pit. Continue reading at The Paris Review
[ The Paris Review | 2022-02-11 15:22:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#photo book
#graphic novel
David Ulin read four of the recall candidate's books, from the jeremiad "Showdown" to the memoir "A Lot Like Me," and found not a writer but a brand. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2021-09-08 13:00:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#memoir
Not to sound like an assistant district attorney from SVU, but it is beyond a shadow of a doubt that acclaimed essayist and book critic Ilana Masad has carved a prominent space for herself in the realm of mother-daughter literature with her debut novel, All My Mother’s Lovers. It sits upon a... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2020-06-22 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#secret life
#electric literature
#book critic
The 'New York Times Book Review' will now add excerpts from the first chapter of books being reviewed to a select number of reviews it publishes digitally. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#select number
#times book
The January 2016 selection of reviews from BlueInk Review includes a science fiction novel set in space and a children's picture book about families. The post January 2016: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#top reviews
#self-published books
#blueink review
#science fiction
#picture book
The December 2015 starred BlueInk Reviews of self-published books include upbeat romance, a WWII novel and a spy thriller. The post December 2015: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#top reviews
#self-published books
#blueink review
#spy thriller
Our monthly selection of reviews from BlueInk Review, a service which reviews self-published books. The post September 2015: Top Reviews of Self-published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#top reviews
#self-published books
#blueink review
#monthly selection
Our August 2015 selection from BlueInk Review, a service which reviews self-published books, ranges from fantasy to middle grade, memoir to self-help The post August 2015: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#top reviews
#self-published books
#blueink review
#middle grade
Our July 2015 selection from BlueInk Review, a service which reviews self-published books, focuses on a variety of nonfiction titles. The post July 2015: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#top reviews
#self-published books
#blueink review
#nonfiction titles
Our June 2015 selection from BlueInk Review, a service which reviews self-published books. All titles are deemed worth of further consideration. The post June 2015: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#top reviews
#self-published books
#blueink review
Fantasy author accuses the online giant of using its market dominance ‘to control what we write and what we read’The grande dame of fantasy Ursula K Le Guin has weighed in forcefully to the debate about Amazon’s role in publishing. In a blogpost on the site Book View Cafe, entitled “Up the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#online retailer
#current market
Our May 2015 selection from BlueInk Review, a service which reviews self-published books. This selection includes guides to finance and fighting cancer. The post May 2015: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-05-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#top reviews
#self-published books
#blueink review
#fighting cancer
Our April 2015 selection of reviews from BlueInk Review, a service which reviews self-published books. The post April 2015: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#top reviews
#self-published books
#blueink review
Our March 2015 selection of reviews from BlueInk Review, a review of self-published books, includes a memoir from Romanian tennis pro Peter Marmureanu. The post March 2015: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#top reviews
#blueink review
#self-published books
Our January 2015 selection of reviews from BlueInk Review, a service which reviews self-published books. The post February 2015: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#top reviews
#self-published books
#blueink review
Our monthly selection from BlueInk Review, a service which reviews self-published books, uncovers a superb memoir of a WWII concentration camp in Indonesia. The post January 2015: Top Reviews of Self-Published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-01-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#top reviews
#self-published books
#blueink review
#monthly selection
Our monthly selection of reviews from BlueInk Review, a service which reviews self-published books, includes several nonfiction titles in history, science and more. The post December 2014 Top Reviews of Self-published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#self-published books
#blueink review
#monthly selection
#nonfiction titles
The November 2014 selection of self-published book reviews from BlueInk Review includes paranormal fiction, young adult fiction, self-help and health. The post November 2014 Top Self-published Book Reviews from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-11-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#blueink review
Our monthly selection of reviews from BlueInk Review, a service which reviews self-published books. The post Recent Top Reviews of Self-published Books from BlueInk Review appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-11-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#self-published books
#blueink review
#monthly selection