NYT best seller accolade needs to go away. It is a pseudo event
“The list is based on a proprietary method that uses sales figures, other data and internal guidelines that are unpublished—how the Times compiles the list is a trade secret.[3] In 1983, as part of a legal argument, the Times stated that the list is not mathematically objective but rather editorial content. In 2017, a Times representative said that the goal is that the lists reflect authentic best sellers.[4]
The list has been criticized by authors, publishers, book industry executives, and others for not providing an accurate accounting of true best-seller status.[7] These criticisms have been ongoing ever since the list originated.[7] A book industry report in the 1940s found that best-seller lists were a poor indicator of sales, since they were based on misleading data and were only measuring fast sales.[7] A 2004 report quoted a senior book marketing executive who said the rankings were “smoke and mirrors”; while a report in Book History found that many professionals in the book industry “scoffed at the notion that the lists are accurate”.[7]”
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NYT best seller accolade needs to go away. It is a pseudo event
“The list is based on a proprietary method that uses sales figures, other data and internal guidelines that are unpublished—how the Times compiles the list is a trade secret.[3] In 1983, as part of a legal argument, the Times stated that the list is not mathematically objective but rather editorial content. In 2017, a Times representative said that the goal is that the lists reflect authentic best sellers.[4]
The list has been criticized by authors, publishers, book industry executives, and others for not providing an accurate accounting of true best-seller status.[7] These criticisms have been ongoing ever since the list originated.[7] A book industry report in the 1940s found that best-seller lists were a poor indicator of sales, since they were based on misleading data and were only measuring fast sales.[7] A 2004 report quoted a senior book marketing executive who said the rankings were “smoke and mirrors”; while a report in Book History found that many professionals in the book industry “scoffed at the notion that the lists are accurate”.[7]”
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_New_York_Times_Best_Seller_list