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Best Sellers

The March 15 edition of USA Today had a full-page article on How a Book Becomes a Best Seller. This is a distillation of that article.

Books find their way to big audiences in all kinds of way: word of mouth, book clubs, the news, movie tie-ins, advertising and marketing. Word on some books spreads through seminars, places of workship or the recommendation of a celebrity such as Oprah Winfrey. The four major ways books become hugely popular are examined below.

The big splash
Some books barrel to the top of the list thanks to the sheer force of big print runs, an author's reputation, and a marketing plan that includes having the book go on sale on the same day across the country. Its a tactic often used for established writing stars, and it usually helps land a book at No. 1. Often, a paperback version will follow within a year and launch the title to the top of the list all over again.

The Hollywood Connection
There is nothing like a touch of Hollywood to help a book rocket to the top of the list. The release of a movie based on a book often pushes sales of the book higher and can even dust off titles that have been off the best-seller list for years.

The echo effect
One blockbuster can launch a small empire. In some cases, a hit book sets up great expectations for later installments, all but guaranteeing success. For others, a hit can resurrect sales of older, lesser-known titles by the same author.

Slow but Steady
They may never reach the top of the list, but booksellers know that these titles -- called the backlist -- are reliable, steady sellers and a bookstore staple.


-- Paul Rhetts is the co-founder of the NM Book Co-op. He is also an author and a publisher with LPD Press.