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 ]
News tagged with:
#john grisham
#chinese takeaway
#fifty shades
A viral TikTok sends a debut author's self-published YA murder mystery soaring. Plus a Legend of Zelda guide receives a royal reception, and new book club picks hit the lists. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#debut author
#book club
Both the nonfiction and fiction June bestselllers lists feature a hit parade of familiar names. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#spirituality bestsellers
#familiar names
TikToker Jerrad Swearenjin approached Shawn Warner during a book signing because he looked ‘super defeated’A debut author struggling with sales became Amazon’s No 1 bestseller this week after a video of the writer at a quiet book signing went viral on TikTok.58-year-old Shawn Warner was sitting... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2023-07-07 13:47:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#book signing
#fort worth
#debut author
#bestseller list
Here’s a peek at the top 25 books of the week. New titles include, at #1, yet another Colleen Hoover book—this one an updated edition of her self-published 2016 novel, 'Too Late.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-07 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#titles include
#updated edition
Two bestselling novelists filed a suit against OpenAI, claiming the company used intellectual property to 'train' its artificial intelligence chatbot. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-07-01 14:28:47 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#copyright infringement
#intellectual property
#novelists
It Ends with Us' author Colleen Hoover invites readers to her Book Bonanza. Plus NBA point god Chris Paul scores with 'Sixty-One,' and Riley Sager is 'The Only One Left.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#book bonanza
#riley sager
As most people reading this website are aware, the literary media has been in steady decline for the last two decades. So in December 2022, when USA Today announced it was putting its bestseller list “on hiatus”—internet parlance for “dead and gone forever”—most of us saw it as one more nail in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-28 14:05:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#usa today
#bringing back
#bestseller list—
#people reading
#steady decline
#bestseller list
USA Today’s weekly list of bestselling books returned Wednesday, ending a monthslong hiatus Continue reading at ABC News
[ ABC News | 2023-06-28 14:02:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#usa today
#bestseller list
'The Five-Star Weekend' by beach-read queen Elin Hilderbrand is the #1 book in the country, with Bonnie Garmus’s 'Lessons in Chemistry' and Emily Henry's 'Happy Place' rounding out the top 3. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-23 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#emily henry
#happy place
If you believe that the role of a novel is to instruct readers on correct moral positions, then Trial is a masterpiece. Continue reading at Slate
[ Slate | 2023-06-20 16:38:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#bestselling author
Actor Elliot Page has the #8 book in the country with the memoir 'Pageboy.' Plus 'All the Sinners Bleed' author S.A. Cosby takes a leap of faith, and Lisa See invites readers into 'Lady Tan's Circle of Women.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-16 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
##8 book
#memoir
Jonathan Cahn sees ancient Gods riling modern times, Shannon Bream's Bible Lessons sell on, and a Rease Witherspoon Book Club pick mystery takes ethical twists and turns among May's top sellers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-13 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#religion bestsellers
#shannon bream
#top sellers
#book club
Tracy Wolff concludes her popular YA vampire series, Crave, with 'Cherish,' the #3 book in the country. Plus actor and musician Hayley Kiyoko takes the #5 spot on our children’s fiction list with her debut novel, 'Girls Like Girls,' and June's book club picks celebrate friendship. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
##3 book
#fiction list
#book club
Regional chart-toppers include Nora Roberts's latest, 'Identity,' and Abraham Verghese's 'The Covenant of Water,' which enjoyed its best sales since its May 2 release. Plus the movie adaption of David Grann's 'Killers of the Flower Moon' is one step closer to release. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#abraham verghese
#david grann
#flower moon
#step closer
A new book skewers the publishing industry's race issues, the author of 'Eragon' returns to science fiction, and two new nonfiction titles take an alternate view of history on this week's bestseller list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-26 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#publishing industry
#race issues
#science fiction
#nonfiction titles
#bestseller list
Rev. Tim Keller, a pioneering pastor of the multi-site megachurch phenomenon and who wrote 28 books on every aspect of Christian life and theology, died on May 19. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#tim keller
#christian life
#bestselling author
'The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece' by actor and debut novelist Tom Hanks is the #6 book in the country. Plus two novels win the 2023 Pulitzer for fiction, and both get a boost on our lists. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
##6 book
In her debut novel A History of Burning, Janika Oza gives us the story of a family, one migration journey at a time. Beginning with indentured labor that leads the first member of the family, Pirbhai, from his home in India to East Africa, we follow four generations across several continents and... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-05-12 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#east africa
#electric literature
#debut novel
Taylor Swift and her fans send a Little Golden Books biography to the top of the list, Rick Riordan's latest is a star, Abraham Verghese gets the Oprah bump, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#taylor swift
#rick riordan
#abraham verghese
April's top sellers include nonfiction titles with mothers in mind, a debut from a pastor on delivering one from demons, and tales of inspiration, love, and suspense. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-08 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with:
#spirituality bestsellers