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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YouTube personality Miranda Sings helps herself to the #1 spot on PW’s Hardcover Nonfiction list. Plus new books from a New Yorker staff writer, a professional wrestler, and a middle-grade fantasy author. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Colouring books for adults are topping bestseller lists. Scottish illustrator Johanna Basford tells us the secrets of her success. Continue reading at BBC World
[ BBC World | 2015-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Days after the film adaptation of 'Paper Towns' hit theaters, John Green's 2008 novel hit #1 on Apple's iBooks bestseller list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The bestselling iBooks in mystery, romance, sci-fi, biography, fiction, and more for the week ended July 19, 2015. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper Lee’s "Go Set a Watchman" sets a record, and then some, for first-week sales this year. Plus we look at new books by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Ernest Cline, and others. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Videos on Facebook are big business. As well as drugged up post-dentist footage, there is also huge advertising potential. Now Facebook has announced a new set of options for video publishers -- including the ability to limit who is able to see videos based on their age and gender. A social... Continue reading at Betanews
[ Betanews | 2015-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harper Lee’s 'Go Set a Watchman' hit #1 on Apple’s iBooks bestseller list, for the week ended July 20. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The bestselling iBooks in mystery, romance, sci-fi, biography, fiction, and more for the week ended July 12, 2015. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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John Green takes two of the top 10 spots on this week’s PW Bestsellers list. Plus soccer star Alex Morgan gets a World Cup sales bump, and two thriller series have big weeks. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sen. Ted Cruz's memoir "A Time for Truth: Reigniting the Promise of America" has sold 12,000 copies, reports Time magazine, and is ranked at No. 16 on Amazon's list of bestselling books. Readers interested in the Texas Republican's autobiography can find it at most bookstores, but there's one... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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He sold more books than almost everyone else on the bestseller list. But the New York Times smelled a rat. Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald
[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2015-07-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins has countered claims by the 'New York Times' that Ted Cruz's 'A Time for Truth' was excluded from its latest bestseller list because of bulk purchases. The book is currently #4 on PW's adult hardcover nonfiction list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Coloring books continue draw attention on the PW Bestsellers list. Plus books by Daniel Silva, Ted Cruz, and other authors make their list debuts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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John Green’s 'Paper Towns' ascended to #3 on Apple’s iBooks bestseller list for the week ended on July 6. E.L. James’s 'Grey' took the top spot on the list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A former Playboy bunny hops onto this week’s PW Bestsellers lists. Plus other reality TV stars make their list debuts, and a Disney prequel has its best week yet. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Down the Rabbit Hole,' Holly Madison’s account of her time at the Playboy mansion as Hugh Hefner’s “#1 girlfriend,” came in at #2 on Apple’s bestseller list for the week ended June 22. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the time she spent preparing for the release of her new novel with St. Martin's, Jane Green also had another project in the works—her first cookbook, which she is self-publishing with funding from Kickstarter. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The new Fifty Shades book dominates this week's PW Bestseller lists. Plus big weeks for Aziz Ansari, Judd Apatow, and other guys in comedy. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The bestselling iBooks in mystery, romance, sci-fi, biography, fiction, and more for the week ended June 21, 2015. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The book sold more than 350,000 copies in just three days on sale, according to Nielsen BookScan, which records roughly 80% of print units. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-06-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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