Secrets of a successful book launch: Do you need to be a bestseller?

Written By Andrea Jo DeWerd

Do you need to be a bestseller to have a successful book launch?

One of the conversations we have over and over again with current and potential clients is about defining success for any given book. How do you know when a book publication is successful? Specifically, do you need to be a New York Times or other bestseller to be considered a success?

I spoke on this topic last month in a webinar with Marissa Eigenbrood of Smith Publicity. Here are a few of the key takeaways Marissa and I discussed:

  • Of the 3 million+ books published each year, only .0028% earn spots on the New York Times bestseller list. (There are 6,040 NYT bestseller spots each year — and some books are on the list for weeks at a time, earning multiple of those spots!)

  • The bestseller list is determined by an unknown algorithm. There is very little transparency about what goes into it: We know that they look at sales, regional factors (how books sell by zip code), retailers (how many different channels/stores the book is selling in), but there is also an unknown “editorial” factor from NYT. Sometimes the books with the most sales in a given week on Bookscan (the industry standard for aggregating and reporting book sales), don’t make the list, or hit the list below books that sold less copies across the board.

  • There are many other factors that we look at when considering a book’s success! In addition to that “bestseller” tag, there are also reviews/publicity hits, social media mentions, Goodreads “adds to shelf,” and consumer reviews.

  • If it is important to you to be a New York Times bestseller, it’s important to know that from the outset of your marketing strategy. There *are* certain things that can be done to help with that effort, such as a bulk buy strategy for events or a pre-order incentive for your audience. Those tactics take 3-4 months before publication to execute, though, so it’s important to plan ahead when you set your sights on that goal.

When you are starting your book marketing campaign, ask yourself: what does success look like for you and your book specifically? Is a bestseller list really what you want to achieve, or is it serving other purposes (hello, ego!)? But there are lots of amazing and popular books out there that have never graced a bestseller list, and have still found their audiences and superfans.

My take: the bestseller list isn’t a necessary “stamp of approval” for most authors and campaigns, but if you do want to be a bestseller, plan ahead (and consider asking for some help)!

Andrea DeWerd
Founder, the future of agency LLC
andrea@thefutureofagency.com

TIP OF THE WEEK

The Impact of Reviews

Positive reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads, significantly increase credibility and trust for the book, which can truly extend the reach of titles. 

Books with more than 20 5-star reviews become eligible for additional support from the retailer and publisher. Reviews can help the book gain visibility, which can ultimately lead to increased sales, and further increased awareness about the book and the author.

Here are some the future of agency clients and titles you can support on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads by adding a 5-star review or marking as “Want to Read:”

CLIENT SPOTLIGHT: EbonyJanice Moore

the future of agency is working with EbonyJanice Moore, of The Free People Project and author of All the Black Girls Are Activists, to highlight Black femme voices in the literary landscape.

EbonyJanice’s campaign, All the Black Girls Are Bestsellers, is all about elevating Black femme voices and their work in the literary communities. EbonyJanice’s goal is to get five Black femme voices to become bestselling authors, and show their literary prowess across the country. 

If you’re looking for your next book, we highly recommend picking up All the Black Girls Are Activists by EbonyJanice Moore, Abolition Geography by Ruth Wilson Gilmore, Healing Justice Lineages by Erica Woodland and Cara Page, Miss Major Speaks by Major Griffin-Gracy, and Sensual Faith by Lyvonne Briggs. 

To learn more and to purchase these titles, visit https://bookshop.org/lists/all-the-black-girls-are-bestsellers-reading-list?.

Offer: $99 Goodreads Giveaways in March

March is Giveaways Month at Goodreads! Goodreads giveaways are one of the best ways to put your book in front of readers outside of your current network and fanbase, and another fantastic tool for getting more consumer reviews.

Until March 23, you can take advantage of this special price at Goodreads to promote your book to new readers. List a giveaway for as low as $99—saving you over 15% off on a Standard Giveaway package. You can give away anywhere from 1 to 100 physical copies of your book, or give away Kindle ebooks if your ePub file has been delivered to Amazon Kindle already.

If you haven’t run a Goodreads giveaway for your book before, we recommend giving it a shot in March at this special price!

Giveaways is a paid program. Limited time offer applies to giveaways that end between March 1-31, 2024. Additional terms apply. Get the step-by-step setup guide from Goodreads here.

Andrea Jo DeWerd
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