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How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

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Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#41

Post by PhasmaFelis »

arthurjj wrote: post #34
ada1981 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I like this one better than people shelling out $200k to make the list because they exploited a bug in the system -- this didn't cost anything outside the manpower to place these orders which will never go through or be charged.

Thank you. The article is treating the NYT bestseller list as sacrosanct. Someone figured a (relatively) cheap way to hack it. Good for them. As someone who just published a children's book if I thought this would work I would try it.

It's a scam regardless of how cheap it was. It sounds like you're trying justify the fact you'd be willing to do the same scam.

Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#43

Post by k_sh »

grzm wrote: post #37
PhasmaFelis wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the Ch\wrch of Sc\w+nt\wl\wgy What's going on here?

Likely an attempt to obscure the phrase from search.

Folks here in LA will give you "shut up right now" looks if you speak ill of the CoS in a public place.

Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#44

Post by ilamont »

Indie publisher here. There have been strange things going on in the last year with best-seller lists, not only in the NYT but also USA Today and Amazon, often relating to ebook "box sets" that have coordinated marketing and borrow campaigns set up around them. See the following resources/discussions:

http://www.thepassivevoice.com/2017/04/the-bestseller-list-b...

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,250491.125.html

I am not sure if the TFA example is connected to box set scams, though.

Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#45

Post by scarmig »

PhasmaFelis wrote: post #35
dsr_ wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

When the Ch\wrch of Sc\w+nt\wl\wgy did this they actually had their cultists pay for the books. Most of them were then sold to second-hand book stores. Because money actually came through to them, Waldenbooks and B. Dalton were happy to order enough to keep up with the fake demand.

> the Ch\wrch of Sc\w+nt\wl\wgy What's going on here?

You can get into trouble if you speak ill of the Ch*rch in public. This hinders discoverability.

Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#47

Post by neves »

richard_mcp wrote: post #18

The NYT bestseller list has been a horrible indicator of what's selling for a while. You can often see well-known authors make the list weeks before their books are out due to massive orders by big box stores. A much better source are Indie Bound's Indie Bestseller lists: https://www.indiebound.org/indie-bestsellers . While still able to be gamed, these lists are compiled based off of sales by independent booksellers…

Nice Bestseller list. Does anyone here has other good (and independent) list?

Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#48

Post by AndrewKemendo »

richard_mcp wrote: post #18

The NYT bestseller list has been a horrible indicator of what's selling for a while. You can often see well-known authors make the list weeks before their books are out due to massive orders by big box stores. A much better source are Indie Bound's Indie Bestseller lists: https://www.indiebound.org/indie-bestsellers . While still able to be gamed, these lists are compiled based off of sales by independent booksellers…

I love how at least half of the Childrens Illustrated Best sellers are all old books.

Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#49

Post by protomyth »

rcthompson wrote: post #28

The consensus I've seen from people in the publishing industry is that lots of books buy their way onto the NYT bestseller list, but this one is just being much less subtle about it.

A bit more irritating to fellow publishers (sour grapes) because this publisher didn’t have to fork out actual cash for their own books. Feel sorry for the stores taking the orders with no hope of actual sales.

Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#50

Post by AndrewKemendo »

scarmig wrote: post #45
PhasmaFelis wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the Ch\wrch of Sc\w+nt\wl\wgy What's going on here?

You can get into trouble if you speak ill of the Ch*rch in public. This hinders discoverability.

Trouble with who? The Church? I'm familiar with their weirdo bullying tactics but you can't really take them seriously - they have no power.
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