It is interesting what define what constitutes a best seller today versus over the long haul. Take Van der Kolk vs. Harry: One is based on our changing view of trauma versus the other a current pop culture preoccupation. I’ll bet Van der Kolk would still be near the top if we compared a 5 or 10 year’s performance versus today’s popularity.
On a completely different topic— I looked at the two-year sales of my memoir and was so pleased to see >$10k in sales. I’m having great luck selling books on TikTok shop. Who knew that would be such a boon to authors? 🤷♂️
Yup, I agree with Van der Kolk. He will stand the test of time. Harry, not so much. At least I hope. I mean cripes, he didn't even write his own book. Did a few interviews with a ghostwriter and got a truckload of money. I have no time or interest in that nonsense. Also... omg, Kerry, congrats on your sales. I had no idea TikTok shop could do that. Well done!
Yes, Britney & Harry on the list? Actually doesn’t surprise me. The level and amount of book-reading in the US is appallingly low. The moment I could read, age 4, my life BEGAN! The entire world opened up. My big brother took me to the library early on. He was reading sci-fi - so did I. Long before Jack &Jill. Linda, I suggest you chat with a librarian to get the real lowdown on books and reading in the US. They know a LOT more than Amazon about books! And the LOVE books and promote reading every day. ALSO - consult Fran Lebowitz. Find her on Netflix with Martin Scorsese.
It doesn't surprise me, either. Makes me curious to look at the Fantasy series, though. I think the only thing on that list I've read is The Body Keeps The Score. Like you, I learned to read before school and had a library card really young. Interesting note, I used to be a librarian. Many moons ago, in the school system. You are so right that librarians have the pulse under their fingers. More than one well deserved book award was driven by librarians.
So many book sales are by organizations trying to push a narrative. Politicians are well versed in how to manipulate numbers to get on bestseller lists. I assume you're more interested in the books that genuinely speak to people. The Hobbit is a good choice. Any books by Roald Dahl on there? Pretty cool topic!
Most of the books that are popular right now will not be read in 10 years. They are junk food people snack on. However, there are still many excellent books being written and people should go looking for them. Even if you quit your job, ignore your family and stay up all night, you'll never be able to read all the good books, so for God's sake don't waste your time reading the dull ones.
I so agree, Michelle. They are junk food. The body keeps the score is a good one, but it's not fiction. Self help isn't fiction either, but some of it maybe should be. One of my greatest laments is that I will never have time to read all the really good books I want to read.
The only book among the recent bestsellers I've read is It Ends With Us, which IIRC was first published in 2016. I don't expect it to become a classic like The Little Prince, but I expect a lot of people will still read it a decade from now. It's a sincere book which touches on something Colleen Hoover cares about deeply, and hits a nerve. Many people disagree/disapprove of what it says about intimate partner violence, and I disagree with part of Colleen Hoover's perspective myself, but it makes readers think (and want to debate with other people -> great word of mouth marketing). IMO, having flawed books about intimate partner violence which make people talk about the problem is better than everybody being silent about it.
I LOVE The Little Prince. I haven’t read it in quite a while so thanks for the reminder. I’ll make a note to reread it soon. It truly is a brilliant book. I haven’t read The Body Keeps The Score, but I probably should. Thankfully, I haven’t suffered trauma, but I’m sure it would be a great read.
Question: How is it that a celebrity or politician (or anyone really) can call themselves an “author” if they hired a ghostwriter? I have no problem with someone hiring a ghostwriter, but if they didn’t actually write the book then they don’t deserve that title. They don’t deserve the same acknowledgments as people who actually write. Or am I missing something? What are your thoughts? Thanks for sharing Linda!
I’ll admit to being a bit insular in my exposure to literature. I’ve been aligned with Science Fiction and Fantasy for almost 60 years. (My invisible friend in my wee youth was Captain Jim!). The interesting point of Science Fiction over these decades isn’t the societies and technologies that these authors created or foresaw, but how their visions informed our current civilization. From Asimov’s Robot and Foundation Novels to Jules Verne’s undersea adventures, to Star Trek’s promise of a hierarchical but more egalitarian future.
Comparing sales over time is hard as literacy has not been constant. Dickens, for example, was, we believe, Taylor Swift popular, but in a time when few could read and even fewer could afford to buy a book. The library of Thomas Jefferson is in the library of Congress and while impressive, it minuscule compared to the 9600 volumes I carry on my Kindle, with access to many more only a Google/Amazon search away.
I saw a statistic the other day that something like 16000 books are published each day so measuring sales is like determining the standard configuration of a snowflake.
Rather than Bestselling, a better, if harder to measure metric might be the impactful books of a person’s life. Almost all would be children’s books because too many people stop reading shortly after the school based requirement to read is relieved. Others would likely be those made into movies/theater for many conflate an equivalency between the book and movie.
Seems like an apples and oranges comparison. Those long term best sellers are largely escapist, ‘comfort’ books while the current crop are flavor of the month self-help stuff, here today, gone tomorrow junk. Personally I think the last generation of serious print readers is on the way out, leaving a hard core group but losing numbers to things designed to be rapidly consumed and forgotten. That saddens me, but I see it even in myself. Too many books, too little strong editorial curation, and fewer lasting classics, not because they are not out there but because they get lost in the flood. Much of the quality is being replaced by streaming limited series as a new storytelling format. We are seeing with modern classics like A Gentleman in Moscow and The Three Body Problem.
I find your claim strange, given that in any era of literature after mass printing became a thing that I've gotten to know, it seems that the vast majority of popular/bestselling books were flavor-of-the-month here today, gone tomorrow junk, and that editorial curation is actually stronger on average right now. But maybe you think old bestselling authors like Horatio Alger and Zane Grey wrote books which are something more than popular junk to appeal to the tastes of their times, rapidly consumed and forgotten except by historians. I might entertain the idea that Zane Grey's books were deeper than many critics give him credit for, but having read both Riders of the Purple Sage and It Ends With Us I have no doubt that the latter is a more profound book with a much more worthwhile comment on the human condition.
How many of those Bibles were actually read? How many were purchased and distributed into the drawers of hotels gathering dust?
Sales are a proxy measure of “enduring quality.” How can we measure the impact a book had, and continues to have on a person or community? That’s a thorny measurement issue (I’m a measurement “expert” in my discipline). Using sales volume is easy. People buy books as gifts; gifts that are never read…
Here’s an example from the 19th century (a book review I intend to start for your publication). In the first year (1844-1845) George Lippard’s Quaker City sold 60k copies. About 10k copies were sold every year in the next decade. Ever heard of George Lippard??? Hint: he was a literary associate of Edgar Allan Poe. There’s some overlap between the Old Testament and Lippard’s Quaker City; that is perhaps the reason for the high sales volume for Quaker City. Second hint: salacious content!!
Re: Britney’s and Harry’s Memoirs, the public has voyeuristic tendencies. Celebrities and royalty attract a certain type of reader…not surprisingly these 2 books are top sellers.
I've read 6 out of 10. Several in grade school. What makes me sad is I doubt many of those graduating high school today could read the Narnia series today. The literacy levels seem to be disappearing along with printed books.
Right? No surprise that celebrities are in there, but I won't be reading those anytime soon
Fascinating topic.
It is interesting what define what constitutes a best seller today versus over the long haul. Take Van der Kolk vs. Harry: One is based on our changing view of trauma versus the other a current pop culture preoccupation. I’ll bet Van der Kolk would still be near the top if we compared a 5 or 10 year’s performance versus today’s popularity.
On a completely different topic— I looked at the two-year sales of my memoir and was so pleased to see >$10k in sales. I’m having great luck selling books on TikTok shop. Who knew that would be such a boon to authors? 🤷♂️
I can't imagine trying to promote a book on TikTok. I hate videos!
Yup, I agree with Van der Kolk. He will stand the test of time. Harry, not so much. At least I hope. I mean cripes, he didn't even write his own book. Did a few interviews with a ghostwriter and got a truckload of money. I have no time or interest in that nonsense. Also... omg, Kerry, congrats on your sales. I had no idea TikTok shop could do that. Well done!
Yes, Britney & Harry on the list? Actually doesn’t surprise me. The level and amount of book-reading in the US is appallingly low. The moment I could read, age 4, my life BEGAN! The entire world opened up. My big brother took me to the library early on. He was reading sci-fi - so did I. Long before Jack &Jill. Linda, I suggest you chat with a librarian to get the real lowdown on books and reading in the US. They know a LOT more than Amazon about books! And the LOVE books and promote reading every day. ALSO - consult Fran Lebowitz. Find her on Netflix with Martin Scorsese.
It doesn't surprise me, either. Makes me curious to look at the Fantasy series, though. I think the only thing on that list I've read is The Body Keeps The Score. Like you, I learned to read before school and had a library card really young. Interesting note, I used to be a librarian. Many moons ago, in the school system. You are so right that librarians have the pulse under their fingers. More than one well deserved book award was driven by librarians.
So many book sales are by organizations trying to push a narrative. Politicians are well versed in how to manipulate numbers to get on bestseller lists. I assume you're more interested in the books that genuinely speak to people. The Hobbit is a good choice. Any books by Roald Dahl on there? Pretty cool topic!
I think Dahl makes the top 100 but not the top 10. And yeah, I don't think there are any top 10 lists that aren't engineered by someone.
I have a lot of opinions about this!
Most of the books that are popular right now will not be read in 10 years. They are junk food people snack on. However, there are still many excellent books being written and people should go looking for them. Even if you quit your job, ignore your family and stay up all night, you'll never be able to read all the good books, so for God's sake don't waste your time reading the dull ones.
I so agree, Michelle. They are junk food. The body keeps the score is a good one, but it's not fiction. Self help isn't fiction either, but some of it maybe should be. One of my greatest laments is that I will never have time to read all the really good books I want to read.
Agree. My daughter is a therapist, and I have heard her talk about that book.
The only book among the recent bestsellers I've read is It Ends With Us, which IIRC was first published in 2016. I don't expect it to become a classic like The Little Prince, but I expect a lot of people will still read it a decade from now. It's a sincere book which touches on something Colleen Hoover cares about deeply, and hits a nerve. Many people disagree/disapprove of what it says about intimate partner violence, and I disagree with part of Colleen Hoover's perspective myself, but it makes readers think (and want to debate with other people -> great word of mouth marketing). IMO, having flawed books about intimate partner violence which make people talk about the problem is better than everybody being silent about it.
If you don't mind spoilers, I think this discussion of the book is good: https://slate.com/culture/2023/02/colleen-hoover-domestic-violence-ends-with-us.html
I LOVE The Little Prince. I haven’t read it in quite a while so thanks for the reminder. I’ll make a note to reread it soon. It truly is a brilliant book. I haven’t read The Body Keeps The Score, but I probably should. Thankfully, I haven’t suffered trauma, but I’m sure it would be a great read.
Question: How is it that a celebrity or politician (or anyone really) can call themselves an “author” if they hired a ghostwriter? I have no problem with someone hiring a ghostwriter, but if they didn’t actually write the book then they don’t deserve that title. They don’t deserve the same acknowledgments as people who actually write. Or am I missing something? What are your thoughts? Thanks for sharing Linda!
I’ll admit to being a bit insular in my exposure to literature. I’ve been aligned with Science Fiction and Fantasy for almost 60 years. (My invisible friend in my wee youth was Captain Jim!). The interesting point of Science Fiction over these decades isn’t the societies and technologies that these authors created or foresaw, but how their visions informed our current civilization. From Asimov’s Robot and Foundation Novels to Jules Verne’s undersea adventures, to Star Trek’s promise of a hierarchical but more egalitarian future.
Comparing sales over time is hard as literacy has not been constant. Dickens, for example, was, we believe, Taylor Swift popular, but in a time when few could read and even fewer could afford to buy a book. The library of Thomas Jefferson is in the library of Congress and while impressive, it minuscule compared to the 9600 volumes I carry on my Kindle, with access to many more only a Google/Amazon search away.
I saw a statistic the other day that something like 16000 books are published each day so measuring sales is like determining the standard configuration of a snowflake.
Rather than Bestselling, a better, if harder to measure metric might be the impactful books of a person’s life. Almost all would be children’s books because too many people stop reading shortly after the school based requirement to read is relieved. Others would likely be those made into movies/theater for many conflate an equivalency between the book and movie.
Seems like an apples and oranges comparison. Those long term best sellers are largely escapist, ‘comfort’ books while the current crop are flavor of the month self-help stuff, here today, gone tomorrow junk. Personally I think the last generation of serious print readers is on the way out, leaving a hard core group but losing numbers to things designed to be rapidly consumed and forgotten. That saddens me, but I see it even in myself. Too many books, too little strong editorial curation, and fewer lasting classics, not because they are not out there but because they get lost in the flood. Much of the quality is being replaced by streaming limited series as a new storytelling format. We are seeing with modern classics like A Gentleman in Moscow and The Three Body Problem.
I find your claim strange, given that in any era of literature after mass printing became a thing that I've gotten to know, it seems that the vast majority of popular/bestselling books were flavor-of-the-month here today, gone tomorrow junk, and that editorial curation is actually stronger on average right now. But maybe you think old bestselling authors like Horatio Alger and Zane Grey wrote books which are something more than popular junk to appeal to the tastes of their times, rapidly consumed and forgotten except by historians. I might entertain the idea that Zane Grey's books were deeper than many critics give him credit for, but having read both Riders of the Purple Sage and It Ends With Us I have no doubt that the latter is a more profound book with a much more worthwhile comment on the human condition.
How many of those Bibles were actually read? How many were purchased and distributed into the drawers of hotels gathering dust?
Sales are a proxy measure of “enduring quality.” How can we measure the impact a book had, and continues to have on a person or community? That’s a thorny measurement issue (I’m a measurement “expert” in my discipline). Using sales volume is easy. People buy books as gifts; gifts that are never read…
Here’s an example from the 19th century (a book review I intend to start for your publication). In the first year (1844-1845) George Lippard’s Quaker City sold 60k copies. About 10k copies were sold every year in the next decade. Ever heard of George Lippard??? Hint: he was a literary associate of Edgar Allan Poe. There’s some overlap between the Old Testament and Lippard’s Quaker City; that is perhaps the reason for the high sales volume for Quaker City. Second hint: salacious content!!
Re: Britney’s and Harry’s Memoirs, the public has voyeuristic tendencies. Celebrities and royalty attract a certain type of reader…not surprisingly these 2 books are top sellers.
I think that, for an author, paying too much attention to best seller lists is like taking the express train to crazy town.
I've read 6 out of 10. Several in grade school. What makes me sad is I doubt many of those graduating high school today could read the Narnia series today. The literacy levels seem to be disappearing along with printed books.