The DIRTY SECRETS Behind The New York Times Bestsellers List

[@cafeaulivre]

Are you influenced by best seller lists or other blurbs on the cover of books? What do you use to discover neuw books and authors? Let me know down below and we'll talk book marketing some more!

[@eveliendejaegere]

What a nice informative video. Thanks for sharing! ❤

[@cafeaulivre]

Thanks for watching 🫶

[@sofiesbookishadventures1865]

This was very informative. Thank you! I am actually never influenced by the blurb 'New York Times Bestseller'. I am however very much influenced by booktube and bookstagram 😄

[@cafeaulivre]

Oh no, ‘those’ people 🤣

[@dagmoon]

Thank you for this video! Holy cow, what a racket. It explains a lot. ("Really? Really? THIS book is a best seller?" has come across my lips more than once.) Seems like that at some point they will be weakening their NYT BESTSELLER enough it will diminish their own value. I know I will pretty much ignore it myself now that I know it's a game with lots of silliness included..

[@cafeaulivre]

What shocked me most is the fact the list has been going on for decades now, as well as the shenanigans. Nowadays, a lot of people turn to social media for inspiration and recommendations, but ten, twenty years ago, these kinds of lists were more important and influential than ever!

[@aiscahill]

This was so good! I've always felt an inclination that somehow these lists could probably be dodgy but I've never actually thought about it enough to look into it. It's nice to know that if I ever win the lotto I can become an NYT bestseller 😅

[@cafeaulivre]

And then I can say: I knew her before she became famous 🤣

[@user-gr5ps6hq2z]

Thanks for the info I never knew this.

[@cafeaulivre]

My pleasure …. I enjoyed doing some research, so if there’s ever a question you want to know more about, let me know!

[@janinetozer]

Good info. Haha! My latest book - the top line says"Sunday Times bestseller" (ML Arlidge, Love Me Not.) However, I'm reading the Helen Grace series, so this did not influence me. I have found seeing such a recommendation does though, sometimes, especially buying a new book - now feeling very naive!

[@cafeaulivre]

I’m sure you’re not alone in this…a lot of people are influenced by stickers or little blurbs like that

[@lapetitefadette9044]

Very interesting video! We are all probably at least a little bit influence by this list, because shop keepers and resellers tend to highlight the trends on their platforms one way or another. You are more likely to buy a product if it is all the time suggested to you.

[@cafeaulivre]

Exactly…people start talking about the books they’ve seen on it and ‘surely it must be good, because it’s on the list!’

[@shisharma]

This is such an informative video i use to wonder that why almost all of the books I own are "New York times bestseller" Whereas after reading the book I wonder how it became a bestseller? There are few books which I have read they weren't in the bestselling list but enjoyed them ,Writers like colleen hoover and ali Hazelwood etc i don't really enjoy them their books are in this list the marketing scheme got me several times well i would not only blame the tag but the overhype and booktok too ,thanks for sharing this saved me from falling into the trap again.

[@cafeaulivre]

I started wondering when a lot of my DNFs were in fact NY Times bestsellers...either I have a bad taste in books, or it clearly wasn't a hallmark of quality.

[@VTimmoni]

I have been wanting this information since I was a teenager.

[@cafeaulivre]

Don’t rush me! 🤣

[@VTimmoni]

@@cafeaulivre Oh no. I'm thanking you.

[@cafeaulivre]

If there are any other questions you would like me to investigate, let me know!

[@mtnshelby7059]

Excellent video, thank you. No, like many I don’t follow large lists or pay attention to blurbs for contemporary novels. But I also mostly listen to contemporary novels on library audiobooks so my investment is minimal. 😮

[@cafeaulivre]

And where do you get the inspiration from to know which audiobooks you're going to listen to next?

[@mtnshelby7059]

Mostly Booktubers lately. Also Goodreads reviews. Now, where do they get their recommendations? ​@@cafeaulivre

[@cafeaulivre]

All over really: booktube, but most certainly in my book club as well, as well as just browsing the bookstore and talking with people really.

[@doreenarcher8543]

Now this is why booktubers are important to me. Just because something is a bestseller doesn’t mean it’s a good book. Thank you🩷💚💜

[@cafeaulivre]

Oh hardly…I once made the mistake of reading Spare, the bio of Prince Harry. Worst book I ever read!