The secret DNA behind bestsellers

Is it possible to predict whether a book will sell well? Former publisher Jodie Archer and Matthew L Jockers, of Stanford University’s Literary Lab, built an algorithm to find outYour program can identify, from scanning 20,000 books, ones which made the New York Times bestseller lists with 80% accuracy, and one of your key discoveries was that the topics covered in a novel – marriage, work, technology – are more important than its genre in terms of predicting its success. Why?JA: If you look at a bestseller list, you might think it was very diverse in genre – a Stephen King alongside a Jojo Moyes. But certain topics were strong indicators of a bestseller, regardless of genre. “Human closeness” came out on top. This doesn’t mean romance – it could be talking with someone you are intimate with or shopping with a parent. It may be to do with pacing – when Dan Brown knows he has to slow his pace down a little bit and let the characters reflect before a big chase scene in the Vatican, his characters talk it out. John Grisham does it perfectly because in all the legal machinations and suspense and back stabbing, there are always scenes where a lawyer gets a bottle of red wine and a Chinese takeaway and sits on the couch with his female counterpart and they chew the cud for a bit. It is almost the opposite of a formulaic how-to; make a boy meet a girl, make them fall out. Related: Bestselling books 2015: Fifty Shades still on top Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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December Religion Bestsellers: ‘Faith Still Moves Mountains’ #1 in Nonfiction; Rivers Reigns in Fiction

Fox News host Harris Faulkner’s ‘Faith Still Moves Mountains’ remains in the #1 spot on PW’s Religion Nonfiction Bestsellers list for December; Francine Rivers takes three spots on Religion Fiction. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-11 05:00:00 UTC ]
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US Bestsellers and Book Sales in 2022: Second-Highest at NPD

NPD Bookscan reports US print book sales rose 12 percent and has published a list of the top print bestsellers in 2022. The post US Bestsellers and Book Sales in 2022: Second-Highest at NPD appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-01-10 16:25:54 UTC ]
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Prince Harry’s memoir hits No 1 on Amazon, predicted to be one of year’s bestsellers

Spare is already the UK’s top-selling title a day ahead of publication, with high-street retailers expecting sustained interest in the royal psychodramaPrince Harry’s Spare is currently the No 1 in the UK Amazon bestseller charts and among the biggest pre-order titles for high-street retailers,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-01-09 17:46:20 UTC ]
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Colleen Hoover Was Queen of 2022's Bestseller List

It is something of an understatement to say that Hoover dominated the 2022 overall bestsellers list: she wrote the the three topselling books of the year, and her novels sold a combined 14.3 million print copies. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: January 9, 2023

Three editions of the Final Report of the January 6 Select Committee hit the market, and our trade paperback list. Plus Ana Huang tells Twisted tales, and resolution-ready books resonate with readers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-01-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: December 19, 2022

The #6 book in the country is the trivia title 'Interesting Facts for Curious Minds.' Plus Cormac McCarthy completes the Passenger duology with 'Stella Maris,' and retired Navy SEAL David Goggins explains why he's 'Never Finished.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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November Religion Bestsellers: Fox’s Faulkner Tops; Christmas Novels Dominate

‘Faith Still Moves Mountains’ by Fox News anchor Harris Faulkner takes the number-one spot on PW’s Religion Nonfiction bestsellers list; holiday-themed romances and mysteries take over the PW Religion Fiction list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-14 05:00:00 UTC ]
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China Bestsellers: History, Awards, Humor

Awards and screen adaptations drive fiction, while humorous history stokes nonfiction, on China's October bestseller lists from OpenBook. The post China Bestsellers: History, Awards, Humor appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-12-13 17:47:51 UTC ]
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'USA Today' Pauses Bestseller List, Lays Off Presiding Editor

A spokesperson told the Associated Press that the list will go on "hiatus for the remainder of the year.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: December 12, 2022

The week's big debuts include Dav Pilkey's fourth Cat Kid Comic Club book and Louise Penny's 18th Chief Insp. Gamache novel. Plus A Good Girl's Guide to Murder series author Holly Jackson writes her first standalone YA thriller. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: December 5, 2022

Colleen Hoover's 'It Starts with Us' reclaims the #1 spot overall, while Michelle Obama's 'The Light We Carry,' #2 in the country, tops the charts on the coasts. Plus Nora Roberts closes out her Dragon Heart Legacy trilogy, and romance novelist Ashley Herring Blake returns to Bright Falls. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-12-02 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The New York Times Bestseller List vs. Their Best of List for 2022

The New York Times just released their Best Books of 2022. How much does it overlap with the bestselling books of the year? Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-12-01 11:40:00 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: November 21, 2022

Tracy Wolff lands at #3 on our children’s fiction list with 'Charm,' her latest YA vampire romance. Plus Lysa TerKeurst sets 'Good Boundaries and Goodbyes,' and BookTok anoints a new bestseller. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-18 05:00:00 UTC ]
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China Bestsellers in September: ‘Humor and Wisdom’

Writerly craft, online serialization, television appearances, and studies of loneliness propelled titles onto the September bestseller lists in China. The post China Bestsellers in September: ‘Humor and Wisdom’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-11-16 09:12:19 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: November 14, 2022

New book club picks include Katy Hays's debut novel, 'The Cloisters,' and a 10th anniversary edition of Cheryl Strayed's 'Tiny Beautiful Things.' Plus Matthew Perry and Bono release memoirs, and Boby Dylan and Quentin Tarantino contemplate the greats in their respective fields. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-11 05:00:00 UTC ]
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October Religion Bestsellers: David Jeremiah Tops in Nonfiction; ‘Deception’ Rules Fiction

Megachurch pastor and bestselling author David Jeremiah takes #1 on PW’s Religion Nonfiction Bestsellers List with his newest title, ‘The World of the End.’ In Religion Fiction, Amir Tsarfati tops with ‘By Way of Deception,’ based on real events inspired by Israel's national intelligence agency. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: November 7, 2022

Cormac McCarthy has the #8 book in the country with 'The Passenger,' first in a two-volume work. Plus Siddhartha Mukherjee plays 'The Song of the Cell,' and cookbooks by Food Network stars Ina Garten and Kardea Brown debut on our lists. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-11-04 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Julie Powell, bestselling author of 'Julie & Julia,' dies at 49

Julie Powell was known for documenting her mission to cook every recipe in Julia Child's cookbook, 'Mastering the Art of French Cooking,' on her blog. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2022-11-01 18:39:54 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: October 31, 2022

Colleen Hoover has the #1 book in the country – and so much more – with 'It Starts with Us.' Plus new celeb memoirs include two by Harry Potter movie alums, and Jen Hatmaker and Phil Rosenthal each feed readers' need for new cookbooks. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-28 04:00:00 UTC ]
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This Week's Bestsellers: October 24, 2022

Jimmy Fallon and Jennifer Lopez serve up a picture book 'Con Pollo,' #9 on our children's picture book list. Plus neuroscientist Friederike Fabritius advocates for 'The Brain-Friendly Workplace,' and clinical psychologists John and Julie Schwartz Gottman write 'The Love Prescription.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-10-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
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