If you’re writing a book, you’re probably wondering: how do I make my book become a New York Times bestseller? There are several steps you can take to increase your odds of making the bestseller list. Here are a few tips: set a release date, get some pre-order sales, market your book and more. By following these steps, you will be well on your way to becoming a New York Times bestseller.
Getting your book on the New York Times bestseller list
If you’ve ever wanted to see your book on the New York Times bestseller list, you’re not alone. Many people want to have their book on the list because of the recognition it brings. Unfortunately, many authors fail to realize the importance of this ranking, or they have unrealistic expectations. Fortunately, there are a number of methods that can help you get your book on the list, regardless of the length of time it’s been out.
First, make sure you have a wide distribution. In order to reach the Times bestseller list, your book must sell between 5,000 and 10,000 copies in a week. It also helps to have diverse sales channels. You can build a large following through social media, build your own email list, and even connect with influential people in your industry. Email is an invaluable tool for getting your book on the bestseller list, and is extremely inexpensive.
Setting a release date
If you’re hoping to make the New York Times bestseller list, the first step is setting a release date for your book. This is crucial because the Times is based on sales, and it is possible that a book released in 2003 might not make it in time for the list. Depending on the category of your book, you can make the list several times within the first year of release. However, you must be aware that the Times’ bestseller list excludes works that have sold more than 50,000 copies during their first week. For example, a book published in 2003 may not appear on the list until 2006, while Dan Brown’s Davinci Code will be on the list when it’s published in 2006.
Choosing a release date early is the most effective strategy for making the New York Times bestseller list. If you can’t release the book on time, you can still sell pre-orders. This method is ethical, as people can buy the book before its release date and wait for it to be shipped. Most online retailers allow authors to pre-order their books 4 to six months in advance.
Getting pre-order sales numbers
The NYT has recently altered their requirements for making the list. For a book to make the list, it needs to sell 10K copies or more within a single week. In the past, you only had to sell five to ten thousand copies in a week to remain on the list, but that seems to have changed. Today, the New York Times seems to be focusing more on curation than on the straight sales calculation.
The New York Times does not count bulk sales, so bulk orders may not be considered a valid number. Likewise, bulk purchases should not be deemed a valid way to make the list. Instead, you should look at the number of pre-orders made in order to determine whether your book is actually selling well enough to qualify for the list. For example, if you have a book club that meets online, you can ask them to purchase 50 copies of your book each for each member. That’s 108 people. If you count that many people, you’ll need to get to the top of the list.
Marketing your book
There are many things you can do to market your book to make the New York Times bestseller lists. The number of copies sold in a week or window does not matter as long as you sell more than 15,000 copies. There are also many authors who release their books during the holidays, so it makes more sense to pick a period when sales are lower. There are other ways to get listed, but the Wall Street Journal’s list is less prestigious. While it does not have the strangeness of the New York Times bestseller list, it does carry almost as much social capital.
The New York Times has strict guidelines for the publications it acknowledges. Books from smaller publishers are not as likely to be recognized as those from large New York publishing houses. You must receive 10,000 orders through bookstores before the book is listed, and you must make sure that your book is accessible on iBooks and other popular online platforms. Even if you are publishing your book yourself, it is still worth it to try to reach your goal of becoming a bestseller.