We are beginning some experimental work with BookStat, the service that tracks and estimates online book sales across all formats, to provide some market insights not previously available. One feature of the system we particularly like (and helped to inspire) is that it tracks pre-orders on a daily basis, right alongside sales of books already on the market, providing a broader view of titles attracting interest from readers. That feature becomes particularly interesting for tracking new release titles (and over time helping to distinguish between actual opening week sales of books, versus their accrued pre-orders). It also means we can […]
Bestseller Radar
Briefs
Film/TV Michael Chabon and Ayelet Waldman, through their company Escapist Fare, have signed a multi-year overall deal with CBS TV Studios. That deal starts with a limited series adaptation of The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay for Showtime, but includes a number of other projects in development. Akiva Goldsman and Alex Kurtzman will executive produce Kavalier & Clay, and Paramount Television will produce (since Paramount Pictures owns the film/TV rights). Initiatives This year James Patterson will give holiday gifts totaling over $200,000 to Barnes & Noble booksellers around the country as well, in addition to his annual holiday bonuses […]
NYT Brings Back Monthly Mass-Market and Graphic Novel Bestseller Lists
After eliminating their weekly mass-market bestseller list in early 2017, along with three monthly online-only lists for hardcover and paperback graphic novels and manga, the NYT is restoring some charts for those categories in more modest form. Starting October 2 (online) and October 20 (in print), the paper will feature one monthly bestseller list for mass market paperbacks, and one monthly combined list for graphic books (comprising fiction, nonfiction, children’s, adults, and manga). “These lists are returning due to continued reader interest and market strength,” the NYT said in a release. They are also bringing back monthly lists for middle […]
Remember July: How Did They Pick?
Our first little experiment last month proved to be popular, so we’ll continue our monthly recaps of how the previous month’s high-profile retailer and book club picks fared in the marketplace. (Of course these statistics are only a partial view, of print sales only. Some of these books were highly anticipated — and well pre-ordered — long before any of these selections were announced. And we know from experience and previous analyses that Reese Witherspoon’s picks will overweight significantly for increased digital audio sales rather than print sales, thanks to her close commercial partnership with Audible.) But over time we […]
Jenna Bush’s Today Picks Have Some Power
EW probably goes overboard in declaring Jenna Bush Hager as “demonstrating an individual power not seen since Oprah’s glory days” in her monthly book picks on The Today Show, starting in March. But her selections do have noticeable impact, and provide a clear sales lift. Her inaugural pick was her strongest, however; according to NPD Bookscan, here is how Jenna’s picks have sold in the four weeks of her selection: March: The Last Romantics, Tara Conklin (22,950 copies) April: The Unwinding of the Miracle, Julie Yip-Williams (7,800 copies) May: A Woman Is No Man, Etaf Rum (10,750 copies) June: Searching […]
People, Etc.
Former Weidenfeld & Nicolson publisher Kirsty Dunseath will become publishing director for Doubleday UK, starting March 25 and reporting to fiction publisher Sarah Adams. As of January 1, Nation Books will be renamed Bold Type Books, as the Nation Institute itself is changing its name to Type Media Center. Jon Krakauer has moved to Gersh for representation (while continuing to work with attorney Becky Hall). And correcting yesterday’s representation item on Rupi Kaur, she remains with Suzanne Brandreth at CookeMcDermid for literary representation; ICM will represent Kaur for film, television and theater. Forthcoming Robert Caro‘s next book is about himself rather than Lyndon Johnson, […]