how to get a book review from new york times

Help With Books How do I subscribe to the printed version of The New York Times on the Web Book Review? The New York Times Book Review is available separately from the Sunday newspaper. It contains reviews of new releases, author interviews and coverage of the book world, as well as bestseller lists for fiction, non-fiction and paperbacks. A one-year mail subscription (52 weeks) is $65 to a U.S. address, US $98.80 to a Canadian address, and $119.60 for all other foreign addresses. To order, call 1-800-631-2580, Monday to Friday, 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. ET or visit www.homedelivery.nytimes.com . Outside the U.S. call (201) 750-5200 or send a fax to (201) 750-5390. How do I submit a book to be reviewed by the Times Book Review? If you would like to have your book considered for review, please send it to: Editor The New York Times Book Review 229 W. 43rd Street New York, New York 10036 If you are sending a children's book, please send it to the attention of the Children's Book Editor. How do I send a letter to the editor of the Book Review? Send letters to the editor to: Letters to the Editor The New York Times Book Review 229 W. 43rd Street New York, New York 10036 What do I need to listen to the audio clips on the Books site? You can download the Real Player free of charge.

493 episodes

The world's top authors and critics join host Gilbert Cruz and editors at The New York Times Book Review to talk about the week's top books, what we're reading and what's going on in the literary world. Listen to this podcast in New York Times Audio, our new iOS app for news subscribers. Download now at nytimes.com/audioapp

The Book Review The New York Times

• 4.1 • 3.4K Ratings
• JUN 28, 2024

Book Club: 'Headshot,' by Rita Bullwinkel

Rita Bullwinkel’s impressive debut novel, “Headshot,” follows eight teenagers fighting in a youth women’s boxing tournament. Each chapter details a match between fighters, bout after bout, until finally a champion is declared. In this week’s spoiler-filled episode, the Book Review’s MJ Franklin discusses the book with his colleagues Joumana Khatib and Lauren Christensen.

• JUN 21, 2024

Griffin Dunne on His Joyful and Tragic Family Memoir

The actor and director Griffin Dunne joins host Gilbert Cruz to talk about his family memoir, "The Friday Afternoon Club."

• JUN 14, 2024

10 Books to Check Out This Summer

Summer is upon us and you're going to need a few books to read. Book Review editors Elisabeth Egan and Joumana Khatib join host Gilbert Cruz to talk through a few titles they're looking forward to over the next several months.

• JUN 7, 2024

Elin Hilderbrand on Her Final Nantucket Summer Book

For many years now, Elin Hilderbrand has published a novel every summer set on the island of Nantucket. With her 30th book, 'Swan Song,' the bestselling author says she will step off that hamster wheel and try something new. On this week's episode, she and host Gilbert Cruz talk about her career, what she's reading, and what's next.

• MAY 31, 2024

Let's Talk About Percival Everett's 'James'

In this spoiler-filled conversation, a panel of Book Review editors discuss Percival Everett's reworking of Mark Twain's “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn."

• MAY 17, 2024

Writing About NASA's Most Shocking Moment

The year 1986 was notable for two big disasters: the Chernobyl nuclear accident in the Soviet Union and the explosion of the Space Shuttle Challenger in the United States. The journalist Adam Higginbotham wrote about Chernobyl in his 2019 book, “Midnight in Chernobyl.” Now he’s back, with a look at the American side of the ledger, in his new book, “Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space.” On this week’s episode, Higginbotham tells host Gilbert Cruz why he was drawn to both disasters, and what the Challenger explosion revealed about weaknesses in America’s space program.

• © 2023 The New York Times Company

Customer Reviews

3.4K Ratings

I like the new book club feature (tho MJs speaking voice for radio needs oomph) but they would need to be more frequent to up the chance of even occasionally having read the book in question. And please at least 2x a month bring back the classic episodes with several books covered, author interview, etc.

I used to be a regular listener but now weeks or months go by where I don’t hit play at all. I miss the old crew and format.

Dumbed down, way down

The new format seems to be covering lots of what I call “airport lit”. I miss the old days when more substantive literature was covered, and I actually learned something.

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Book Publicist Scott Lorenz offers Authors Book Marketing Tips and Techniques on his Blog “The Book Publicist”

How the New York Times Selects Books for Review for 2024

by Scott Lorenz | Author Advice , Blog , Book Marketing , Book Publicity , Book Publishing , Book Reviews , Marketing a Book | 4 comments

New Behind-the-Scenes Story by FOX-5 NY Sheds Light on the Meticulous Process

by Scott Lorenz Westwind Communications

As a book publicist , I talk to authors and clients on a daily basis. Many have one goal in common: To become a New York Times bestselling author. One way to do it is to get reviewed by the New York Times Book Review. This is no surprise as the New York Times Book Review is one of the most prominent book review publications out there. It’s a weekly paper magazine that comes with the Sunday New York Times, which has a circulation of 1.5 million. A one-fifth page ad in the Book Review will cost a whopping $8,830 for small presses. You can expect to dish out even more if you’re a major publisher. For more information click here .

If your book gets reviewed by the New York Times Book Review, you’re almost guaranteed an increase in sales and publicity. So, how does the New York Times Book Review select books to review? Good question! Pamela Paul, who’s been the New York Times Book Review editor since 2013 sat down with FOX 5 NY to shed some light on this very common question. Check out the terrific story here .

“We love the publishing industry, and we support what they do, but really we are here for readers.” Pamela Paul, Editor, NY Times Book Review

She explained that the New York Times receives hundreds of books that would like to get reviewed each day. Believe it or not, all the books, except for self-published books, receive some kind of look by a staff of critics and freelance reviewers. The type of look each book gets, however, varies. While one book’s look lasts a few seconds, another book gets read cover to cover.

“Only 1% of all the books we receive make the cut. We’re always on the lookout for new and interesting voices. Since we view books as a form of art, we strive to recognize innovation and diversity,” Paul explains.

Paul was asked whether critics ever get tired of looking at books. “The kind of people that work at the Book Review are always excited to check out a book. They really love books and are doing exactly what they want to be doing,” she says.

All NY Times book reviews are fact-checked for accuracy. Paul states that fact-checking is very important for them because while you can disagree with a book review, you shouldn’t distrust it. Once the reviews are fact-checked, copy editors write headlines, credits, and more before the review goes to press.

You can see that the New York Times Book Review is run by people who love books and why they take extra care to make sure what they recommend is worthy of their audience’s time. That’s why a mention in the NY Times Book Review is so powerful.

From the NY Times Website:

During the Covid-19 pandemic, The New York Times Book Review is operating remotely and will accept physical submissions by request only. If you wish to submit a book for review consideration, please email a PDF of the galley at least three months prior to scheduled publication to [email protected] . Include the publication date and any related press materials, along with links to NetGalley or Edelweiss if applicable. Due to the volume of books we receive, we cannot respond to individual requests about our plans for coverage. Thank you.

When things return to normal, if you would like to have your book considered for review, please send it to: Editor The New York Times Book Review 620 Eighth Avenue, New York, NY 10018 [email protected]

If you are sending a children’s book, please send it to the attention of the Children’s Book Editor.

The Bottom Line: While earning a spot on the New York Times Book Review is no easy feat, it’s not impossible. As long as your book has a unique twist, is well crafted, has an important message, or a new voice that must be heard, it stands a chance and is certainly worth sending in.

Final Recommendation: Watch the FOX-5 NY piece a few more times so you can really understand what the NY Times wants. https://www.fox5ny.com/news/a-day-in-the-life-inside-the-ny-times-book-review-process

You can also watch an hour-long interview with C-SPAN’s Book TV and New York Times Book Review editor Pamela Paul from 2015. https://www.c-span.org/video/?326362-1/tour-new-york-times-book-review

Click to tweet this article to your friends and followers!

About Book Publicist Scott Lorenz

Book publicist Scott Lorenz is President of Westwind Communications, a public relations and marketing firm that has a special knack for working with authors to help them get all the publicity they deserve and more. Lorenz works with bestselling authors and self-published authors promoting all types of books, whether it’s their first book or their 15th book. He’s handled publicity for books by CEOs, CIA Officers, Navy SEALS, Homemakers, Fitness Gurus, Doctors, Lawyers and Adventurers. His clients have been featured by Good Morning America, FOX & Friends, CNN, ABC News, New York Times, Nightline, TIME, PBS, LA Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Woman’s World, & Howard Stern to name a few.

Learn more about Westwind Communications’  book marketing approach at https://www.WestwindBookMarketing.com or contact Lorenz at  [email protected]  or 734-667-2090 or fill out the form below. Follow Lorenz on Twitter  @aBookPublicist . Want help titling a book? Check out Scott Lorenz’s new award winning, bestselling book:  Book Title Generator- A Proven System in Naming Your Book   www.BookTitleGenerator.net .

Would you like help promoting your book?

If so, tell us a little about your book. What is the title? Do you have a publisher? What is the publish date? How many pages is your book? What is the cost? Do you have web site? What is your specific goal I.E., to make money, raise awareness, get the attention of an agent or publisher, sell the story to a movie or TV studio or something else?

Submit the form below with this information and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you!

This is such valuable information if you want to get your book reviewed by The New York Times. Sounds like it is a challenging goal for writers to say the least, but worth the effort if your book gets reviewed. It’s just too bad that they don’t review more self-published books.

I’m interested in learning more about this process. I’ve entered in looking for a literary agent, however, I do have a great author endorsement for my series. I’m curious if Mr. Lorenz assists authors who are just starting and are trying to navigate the ground floor of this industry?

Hi Cyndi, Appreciate your comment! Yes, I can certainly help if you’re just starting. Please share more details on my email. Reach out to me via https://book-publicist.com/contact/ . Thanks!

I would be interested in your comments — I am working with Westbow Publishers but am thinking of going from their review of my manuscript to doing my own marketing do you think it is better to pay the few thousand marketing fee, or sterike out on my own? Thanks [email protected]

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The Ultimate Guide to Getting Book Reviews

• March 30, 2020

In this post, we cover:

• The different types of review
• How to get reviews and editorial reviews
• How to make the most out of your reviews
• How to deal with negative reviews

Ultimate Guide to Getting Book Reviews: Main Types of Review

There are many different kinds of book reviews and publications, each one having evolved separately from one another for different purposes and different kinds of audiences.

1. Reviews in mass media

Mass media reviews in newspapers and magazines were traditionally the only way to let people know about books and are still highly influential, especially the Review sections of major publications like the New York Times, The Guardian, for example. Also influential are radio and TV book review and interview programs, like the Oprah or Richard and Judy book clubs.

2. Reviews in book trade publications

People connected with the publishing industry read book trade publications. Publishers, agents, booksellers, librarians, marketing agencies, and book reviewers all read publications and associated websites like Publishers Weekly, Foreword Reviews, Kirkus Reviews, and Library Journal, among others.

3. Reviews by book bloggers

Book bloggers are avid readers who have developed often significant online followers. They can be very influential in creating fan buzz about books.

4. Reviews by readers given an advance copy for review

Advanced Reader Copy shortened to “ARCs,” describes the process of providing a copy of your book, prior to publishing, to a select group of readers with a request that they write a review once you publish. A

5. Online customer reviews

Customer reviews appear on a book’s sales page on online retailers. Readers who have purchased a book, or who might have received advance copies of the book, write online customer reviews. Reviews on sites such as Amazon, Goodreads, and Audible can be very influential. A reader can, on the spur of the moment, choose to buy or not to buy a book based on online customer reviews.

There are many good reasons why online book reviews have become front of mind:

• Research indicates they influence readers’ decisions to buy.

• They are public and perpetual: posted for all the world to see and they don’t go away (unless the online retailer decides to remove them.)

• They are relatively accessible and democratic—anyone with an account for a particular online retail store, or with their own blog, may post a review.

• More online reviews equals greater visibility within online stores and on search engines.

6. Editorial reviews (paid and unpaid)

Let’s clarify what we’re talking about when we say “editorial reviews.” Editorial reviews, also called endorsements, are those glowing comments you find on front covers, back covers, inside in the front matter, and on your book’s page with the distributor/retailer (e.g. Amazon).  These endorsements are often from people working for big-brand media outlets (New York Times Books Review, The Guardian Review); other famous, notable or clued-in authors, or others who have lots of credibility with your target reader.

Authors, both indie and traditional, can pay for editorial reviews–though you don't have to, you can also put the leg work in to build your network and reach out to influencers. It very much depends on your budget. If money is tight, there are more effective things you can do for booksales. But if time is tight and you have the money, paying for an independent review on one or more of the editorial review sites gives your book a start.

Among the most reputable fee-for-review services are ALLi Partner Members 
 Foreword's Clarion Reviews , BlueInk , Kirkus Indie Reviews , and Publishers Weekly’s BookLife .

As with every other aspect of publishing (and indeed of life) there are disreputable review services out there. For more on this, connect with ALLi Watchdog Desk. Sign into the allianceindependentauthors.org and then navigate to SERVICES > WATCHDOG DESK.

Ultimate Guide to Getting Book Reviews : The Principles

Depending on the type of review you're after, the principles of reach-out to reviewers are generally the same: research, well-structured pitch,

Principle 1: Research 

For advance reviews, customer or blogger reviews:

• Make sure the people you're contacting do actually post reviews regularly. Are there reviews on their social media? Photos of books? Shout outs to authors?
• Check they review in the same genre your book is in
• Search for their name and contact details. Reviewers with websites often have quirky titles like: Books and Coffee or I Love Books.com. These regular reviewers often get swamped with requests. Most requesters won't bother searching for their name and reach out with something like this: Hey, Books and Coffee, I'm the author of… will you review my book . That's not going to work. Take the time out to find their name on their about page or social media and you're way more likely to get a response when you email them. And take time to craft a pitch that explains to them why your book is a fit for them.

Principle 2: Create a Template Email

The structure of a good endorsement review email (or letter or social media message if you are reaching out via a method other than email) goes like this:

• subject line
• intro tailored paragraph (Hi Mr. Tom Hanks, I know you have a keen interest in World War II history and I think you’ll be interested in a book I’ve just written titled [title]. I’m hoping you’ll agree to provide a review.)
• what the book is about – this can be a modification of your blurb
• links where they can access their ARC (advance review copy). Consider using a service like Prolific Works or BookFunnel and consider providing two options: an excerpt with a few sample chapters and the full manuscript. If you also have a website or webpage provide that link as well.
• your requested deadline – this should be at least four weeks, and six to eight is probably better.
• a line explaining that reviews received before the deadline will be considered for front or back cover treatment, and, acknowledging they are busy and that you’ll gladly accept their review even if they are unable to meet your deadline.
• Some authors will attach their book cover too.
• Sign off thanking them for their time

Principle 3: Be Organized

Find a method to organize the information you've collected about potential reviewers however suits you: word, excel, something more fancy like Trello or Asana. You'll want columns for name, company, email address, social media handles, mailing address, which book(s) they’ve reviewed, and a column or space to add notes about your communication. Like, when they tell you they’ll be happy to provide editorial reviews for your self-published book, and they’ll get back to you in two weeks.

Ultimate Guide to Getting Book Reviews : Influencer and Editorial Reviews

If you want review, blurb or praise quote from influencers or any kind of influential review e.g. in a mass-media newspaper or review outlet, here are some tips:

• Leave a longer amount of time for contacting potential influencers. They have busy schedules and will likely need a longer period of time to review the book.
• Make sure they do review books. You can always check their website to see if they have a no review policy. Also check that they review in your genre.
• If you write nonfiction, you'll need to research influencers and leaders in your sector. Make sure whoever you're asking to review is actually relevant. Also if you've quoted an influencer in your book, consider asking them to review it. Most people are honored when they're quoted, so this is a great way in.
• Expect a lot of no's. Influencers are busy people and will often get asked to review or praise dozens of books a week. You are not going to get 100 % yeses, but likewise, you're unlikely to get 100% nos. But when you purposefully go out and ask for editorial reviews for self-published books, good things happen. You might get an invitation to write a guest blog on a high-traffic blog site, or to be a guest on a podcast, or something else you already had on your book marketing to-do list anyway. It’s a win-win.
• Resist the temptation to follow up with them, except perhaps once if you haven’t heard within two to three weeks. Be polite, don’t badger, never make them feel like you assume they have an obligation to do anything. A simple outreach to tell them you’re just checking to be sure they received your original message, and that’s it.

The Ultimate Guide to Getting Book Reviews : How to Get Reviews

We've already mentioned the better paid review outlets: 
 Foreword's Clarion Reviews , BlueInk , Kirkus Indie Reviews , and Publishers Weekly’s BookLife .

Do a Google for ‘ book review bloggers ‘ you'll get pages of listing and reviewers. These listings are fabulous, yes. But to actually get the reviews, you're going to have to do the work and pitch the reviewers.

Search for Book Reviewer Listings: such as this huge list of review sites from Reedsy . Or what about this one from Dave Chesson at Kindlepreneur. Check out the list by genre. One more: Top 100 Book Review blogs

Free Downloads: Over time, doing selective giveaways will increase the amount of reviews you get. Estimates reckon that for every 100 completed reads, .06 people will review. Not even one. Tough stats. Giving away copies to the right people (not willy nilly) and asking for an independent review in return will help.

Newsletter swaps: If you have a mailing list you have the ability to swap recommendations in your emails with other authors. Your mileage may vary, and always make sure the person you're asking to read and review your book is reputable and trustworthy.

Ask on social media: If someone tells you they've read your book, politely ask if they would leave a short review. You may find this uncomfortable, but it works.

Schedule messages, memes and posts: how many times have you posted on your Facebook page or instagram story asking for reviews? If you feel uncomfortable ask indirectly. Put up memes about how much they mean to an author, or how important they are in general rather than asking directly, though the latter works better! Point is, schedule a reminder in once a week for the next year and I bet you see a huge increase in reviews.

#Bookstagram: Bookstagram is a movement on Instagram uniting all book reviewers and social media users. Typically a Bookstagrammer will post a gorgeous picture of your book and / or leave reviews. Some double up as book review bloggers. This is a time-intensive method of getting reviews, but it does pay off as you often get stunning photos of your books in the process. And if you ask whether you can repost them or use them, they'll often say yes.

To find bookstagrammers:

• Go to Instagram
• Search for #bookstagram #booklover and or any other variation of ‘book' something in the search bar.
• Go to each profile, and check if they have an 'email me' button OR a link to their website on their bio. If they do, bingo!

The Ultimate Guide to Getting Book Reviews: What if You Get a Negative Review?

Negative reviews – we will all get them at some point, no matter how great we think our books are. Indeed, some writers even see it as a badge of honor to get a savage 1*, because it demonstrates to the world that your reviews aren’t all from your friends. But that doesn’t stop it hurting, at least for a little while – especially if the reason for the review feels unfair.

Don't respond. Ever. Professionals don't get into public spats about things that are opinions. You'll come off looking worse and only antagonist the reviewer. walk away, get a cup of coffee, and move on with the more important things in your day (which is everything else).

Put a positive spin on it. If you've received a number of reviews all saying the same thing, such as: needed more worldbuilding. use it as a learning opportunity to develop your craft. It's a gift really, to be told where to direct your attention so you can focus your development in the right areas.

If you're getting predominantly one-star reviews, then you've either marketed to the wrong genre or the quality of your book isn't what it should be.

Remember reviews aren't for authors, they're for readers. Though it's nice to see praise of our work, reviews aren't for the author. Reviews are there to help other customers decide whether or not they would like to purchase your book. Don't be afraid of bad reviews either. If someone wrote, “didn't like it, far too Steampunk heavy” don't worry. That's going to be a steampunk lover's dream. So just as much as you might lose one reader, bad reviews help other readers buy books. If they’re a serious potential customer for your book, they won’t be put off by the odd crazy, and they’ll be smart enough to realize which reviews are credible.

Ultimately, if reading reviews—be they positive or negative— affects you or your mental health or your motivation to write in any way, then you should probably stop reading them. Lots of authors do this. The alternative response–if you can do it–is to read, learn if there's any learning in it, then forget about it. This means treating the good reviews as dispassionately as you treat the bad.

The Ultimate Guide to Getting Book Reviews:  H ow to USE Your Reviews 

Once you've got reviews, use them! So many writers secure a review and then do nothing with it. If you've managed to get ARC reviews or reviews from influencers, use them.

Great one-liners also lend themselves well to:

• Endorsement quotes for your book covers. Have your designer add the quotes to the cover.
• “What Readers Say” pages at the start of your books. Go to a bookstore and have a look inside the cover of a few books to see how these are styled and laid out and how many quotes you might need.
• Information sheets  for booksellers if you're trying to sell selective rights.
• Social media graphics for potential new customers. Here's one I've created for an upcoming release:

I used Canva to create the graphic and the elements in my book cover to create the background and colour scheme. Canva is a free program and you can upload your own book cover images to their site.

Two Notes of Caution

If you are in any doubt that any reviewer may not be happy to see you share their review, then ask permission first. This particularly applies to bookbloggers, who are reviewing in their own space and under their own copyright – unlike Amazon reviewers, which Amazon actively encourages you to share (though reviewers may not realise this). Alienating a bookblogger by violating their copyright is a bad idea, especially if you are hoping they will review your future books.

• If quoting an extract  rather than the full review, the conventional – and ethical – practice is to indicate what you’ve omitted with an ellipsis […] to show that you’re quoting out of context, and alerts the reader to check the rest of the review, which may not be so flattering, if they wish to. (Most won’t.)

DON'T FORGET

How to get your first 50 book reviews: the guidebook.

Our Quick & Easy Guide to getting reviews is based on the experience of ALLi members and on ALLi’s Ethical Author policy.

ALLi’s latest Quick & Easy Guidebook focusses on how to get your first 50 book reviews (available for sale on the ALLi bookshop or free to members in the Member Zone: log in –>go to Advice –>Quick & Easy Guides). This is the ultimate guide to getting book reviews.

I did pay for membership. I may have used a different email: [email protected] or [email protected]

I gave my copy of my membership to my husband, the hoarder in chief and tax accountant. We live in PR. It is cold here now. That means I can wear long pants. Donna S. Cohen RN newest book: A Nurse’s Guide to Plastic Surgery—Loving Yourself While Loving Your Wallet. I would like someone else to handle the marketing!!!!

Very comprehensive and well done article on how to get your book reviewed. Thank you. Team Golfwell are retired people in New Zealand and they do free book reviews > https://www.teamgolfwell.com/free-book-reviews.html

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How to Increase Your Chances of a New York Times Book Review

June 16, 2014 By Heather Hart 6 Comments Click here for FREE training for Christian writers

Now, not every author would want to consider this as part of their marketing strategy, in fact, I  am not currently interested, but wanted to share it with you. So, if you are interested in having your book reviewed by them, here’s what you need to know.

The New York Times Book Review Submission Guidelines

1. You must send in a review copy 4 months before the official release date

The New York Times Book Review prefers to receive pre-release galleys from book publishers 4 months prior to the books publication date. However, they will accepted a finished book if a galley is not available. This does not mean you can send a book that is already published, just that if your book is finalized (yet still 3-4 months from actual publication) you can still send them the final copy.

Not familiar with a pre-release galley? Find out more in our book, “ How to Get Honest Reviews .”

2. There is No Guarantee, Returns, or Updates

You can send your book in, but they do not promise to review it, return it, or even update you on the status. They admittedly only review a small percentage of the books they receive and do not say what they do with the review copies they are sent other than that they will not return them. Likewise, they are very clear that they won’t respond to questions about the status of reviews, or notify authors if they

3. You Must be Published within the United States of America 

The New York Times Book Review will only review books that are published in the US. If you are published through a Canadian, European or otherwise non-US publisher, as a US newspaper, The New York Times Book Review isn’t open to you.

4. Your Book Must be Available in Bookstores

Their rules also state that your book has to be made available to general-interest bookstores. Obviously if they are asking for pre-release galleys, it doesn’t have to be currently on a bookstore shelf. However, making your book available to bookstores must be part of your marketing plan, and it needs to be available to them by the time of your scheduled release (usually through a distributor such as Ingram).

Those are all of the qualifications they have listed on their website , but don’t go sticking your book in the mail just yet. Before sending your book off for their consideration, you will want to take some steps towards success.

1. Read the New York Times Book Reviews

This should go without saying, but if you want your book to be reviewed by the New York Times Book Review, you should actually read it. See what kinds of books they review, get a feel for what they like and don’t like. Basically, if this is your target audience, know what they want to read. You shouldn’t write a book just for them, but if you’ve written a book, reading what professional reviewers say about other books can help you fine-tune your own. If you’re not already subscribed, you can find out how to get a subscription mailed to you (separate from the Sunday paper) here .

2.  Establish Yourself in Your Niche

If you have never before published a book and are virtually unknown, your book is likely to get lost in the high percentage of books that the New York Times Book Review doesn’t have time for. If this is something you are interested in, I recommend building yourself up first. Publish a book or two, build an online following, make some noise!! If you become a household name in your niche, you are more likely to be recognized and picked up by the editor.

3. Have Your Book Professionally Edited

The New York Times Book Review is the big leagues. Just because it’s free to send them a book, doesn’t mean that you should skimp on the costs of publishing. Make sure that you put forth your best work by having it professionally edited (maybe even by two or three different editors). You can find a list of editors we recommend here .

4. Get a Killer Cover Designed

You’ve heard the saying, “don’t judge a book by its cover,” right? Well, it’s a saying because all of us do it. If we see a poorly designed cover, we assume that the book itself will be just as crummy. It’s not always true, but without an eye-catching cover, your book is likely to be tossed aside. Most authors are just that, authors; not graphic designers. So get some help from someone who knows what they are doing and really make a great first impression.

If you are interested in submitting your book, you can mail a copy to the following address:

Editor The New York Times Book Review 620 Eighth Avenue, 5th Floor New York, NY 10018

Note: If you are sending a children’s book to them, you should address it to the “Children’s Book Editor”

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About Heather Hart

Connect With Heather Online: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest   For close to a decade, Heather Hart has been helping other writers make their dreams come true. As an internationally best-selling and award-winning author, with well over a dozen books in print, she knows what works and what doesn’t. Furthermore, she knows it’s possible to be a successful author without launching your own business. Her desire is to help writers keep writing… and have fun doing it. Find out more at ToolsForAuthors.com   Love What You Read? Check This Out!   Get Heather's FREE report and learn how to make small tweaks to your book marketing that lead to big changes here .   

December 18, 2014 at 10:15 pm

Would you consider reviewing a book that has already been self-published? It is called “Love, Blood, & Honor” and it is on Amazon and Kindle.

December 20, 2014 at 9:25 am

We don’t offer review services. However, many reviewers will review books that are already published. The New York Times Book Review will not. I highly recommend checking out Readers’ Favorite: https://www.trainingauthors.com/readersfavorite

April 10, 2019 at 4:06 pm

How long should you wait to publish your book after it has been submitted to NY Times? They are looking for galleys and unpublished works, right. Do you continue with the publishing process or wait four months in hopes of hearing from the NY Times?

May 11, 2022 at 3:25 pm

It seems to be a Catch-22 system glitch. Book sales rise if a book is reviewed and books are reviewed if selling. Is it possible to get pre-publication reviews?

May 18, 2022 at 8:47 pm

If you are self-published or independently published you can begin inviting people to read an advanced review copy (ARC) prior to publication and then send them the link when it goes live. However, no one is able to post a review until your book is published.

December 13, 2023 at 10:36 am

i wrote a book call Jesus poems of deliverance

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Need a summer read? Here are 17 books from our experts

If you’re lucky enough to have a quiet place to retreat from the heat this summer, we’ve got a symphony of suggestions for novels and nonfiction to keep you entertained.

WATCH: Amy Tan turns her literary gaze on the world of birds in ‘The Backyard Bird Chronicles’

Ann Patchett, acclaimed writer and owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, and Gilbert Cruz, editor of The New York Times Book Review, recently joined PBS News Hour’s Jeffrey Brown to share their picks for summer reading.

”Sandwich” by Katherine Newman

“If you want a book that has you from ‘hello,’ this is the one. Family goes to the Cape every summer for two weeks. They have kids in their 20s, they have elderly parents and they eat sandwiches, they are very near Sandwich and they are the sandwich generation.” – Ann Patchett

“Sipsworth” by Simon Van Booy

“This is an elderly woman who’s very isolated. She meets a mouse, and the mouse brings all of these wonderful people into her life. It sounds hokey. It’s not.” – Ann Patchett

“Bear” by Julia Phillips

“Two young sisters working so hard in a very tough existence on an island off the coast of Washington. It all changes when a bear comes to their neighborhood and it drives the sisters apart.” – Ann Patchett

WATCH: How Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novels teach kids it’s OK to have ‘big feelings’

”Crook Manifesto” by Colson Whitehead

“If you want some mystery, some cops and robbers, some corruption, some great writing.” – Ann Patchett

“Swan Song” by Elin Hilderbrand

“I’ve only been to Nantucket for two hours on, like, the coldest day that I can recall, so I have no idea what it’s like to be there in the summer. But I sort of do, because I’ve read a dozen Elin Hilderbrand books.” – Gilbert Cruz

“Horror Movie” by Paul Tremblay

“This is about, essentially, an independent horror movie that was made years and years ago. A bunch of tragedies happened. It’s become a cult film. And the only person left from the production has started to encounter some weird things.” – Gilbert Cruz

“The Bright Sword” by Lev Grossman

“There have been many retellings of the King Arthur legend – books, movies, musicals. This one is sort of a sequel.” – Gilbert Cruz

“There’s Always This Year” by Hanif Abdurraqib

“This is a collection of essays about family and love and grief and fathers. But most importantly, it’s all woven together through the lens of basketball.” – Ann Patchett

“My Black Country” by Alice Randall

“Alice is a fiction writer and a scholar, but she is also the only Black woman to have written a No. 1 country song. This is a story of all the people who have been erased in country music’s past, and she is restoring them into the landscape.” – Ann Patchett

WATCH: Beyoncé brings new audience to country music and highlights the genre’s Black roots

”Consent” by Jill Ciment

“Jill Ciment was 16 years old when she first kissed her art teacher, who was 46. They got married and they stayed together until he died at 86. And it is her looking back on her life and thinking, ‘It was a happy marriage, but knowing what I know now, maybe there was something a little wrong about that?’”

And a bonus…

“Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma” by Claire Dederer

“…a great book that just came out in paperback that could be read as a companion piece.” – Ann Patchett

”The Future Was Now” by Chris Nashawaty

“The summer of 1982 – if you care about science fiction, fantasy, stuff like that – was one of the biggest summers of all time. So it had “E.T.”, “Poltergeist,” “Blade Runner,” “Tron,” a “Mad Max” sequel, a “Star Trek” sequel. And this is essentially a history of that summer, a history of those movies.” – Gilbert Cruz

“Cue The Sun! The Invention of Reality TV” by Emily Nussbaum

“Emily Nussbaum does an amazing job of sort of sketching that whole history and what they’re billing as sort of the first comprehensive history of this very important genre.” – Gilbert Cruz

And a few for the youngest readers…

• “The Old Boat” by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey (board book)
• “The Old Truck” by Jarrett and Jerome Pumphrey (board book)
• “Ahoy” by Sophie Blackall
• “Ferris” by Kate DiCamillo

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For this Money Talks, Felix Salmon chats with food writer, podcaster, and cookbook author Matt Rodbard about the latest trends in the culinary biz. They discuss the Korean restaurant craze, the rise of non-alcoholic drinks, and how grocery stores got cool. They disagree on the usefulness of physical cookbooks but agree that MSG is underrated.

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How to get major publications to review your book: 10 invaluable tips you’ll wish you had yesterday

This is a guest post by Shelli Johnson and Alice Wisler

So you’re an indie author and wanna get reviewed? We've got some helpful tips for you!

We're focusing here on smaller venues for indie authors in particular. Bigger publications like Booklist and Publishers Weekly are fantastic, and you should absolutely try to get into them, but be aware that they only review a fraction (less than 10% I read somewhere) of the submissions they get–and that’s from all publishers. So you’re competing against the big legacy publishers, too.

By and large, most review sites want hard copies of the book at least 3 months prior to publication. Keep that in mind when you’re deciding when to launch and in what format to launch. Some will take ebooks, and some will review anytime, even after publication.

First, start at the Midwest Book Review website ; I used them as a source for nearly all the information that you’re reading here.

1. Don’t advertise it as a self-pubbed book

For starters, don’t advertise that it’s a self-published book, especially if you have your own small press. If they come out and ask, by all means be honest. And if they have a policy against reviewing self-published books, then you must tread carefully and choose whether or not you want to submit your book since that may be a policy coming from their legal department. But if your book can pass the it-looks-like-it-was-professionally-published test, then not mentioning it’s self-published will increase your chances of getting a review.

2. Feature stories are better than reviews

Having been a journalist for a number of years, I can tell you that book-review editors are not the only ones at a publication to whom you can send your book. You can try columnists. There are feature editors. If your book has a section tie-in (like sports or movies or fashion for instance), you can try the editors of a particular section. Try your hometown paper (both where you grew up and where you live now) or the alumni magazine of your college. You may get a review out of it. You may get a feature story done about you in which they plug your book. You’re actually better served with a feature article than just a simple review. You’re more likely to connect with readers, who will then go out and buy your book if they get to know something about you as the author.

3. Join the Independent Book Publisher’s Association

If you have your own small press, join the Independent Book Publisher’s Association (IBPA ~ find them here .) Not only will you join a network of other small publishers banding together to help each other but you’ll also give yourself an edge with some review sites (Midwest Book Review and Foreword Magazine for starters) who will automatically bump your book closer to the top of the review pile.

4. Call / email first

If possible, call or email a reviewer first to see if they have an interest in your book. You’ll save yourself time and money if they tell you no. Also, make sure once you’ve been given an okay to send it that you address it to the specific person you corresponded with and write Requested Material on the outside of the envelope.

5. Don’t give reviewers a reason to disqualify you

There are a lot of books vying for attention and only so much space/time in a reviewer’s calendar. They are looking for ways to whittle down their submissions; make sure you don’t give them a reason to disqualify yours right off the bat. Follow their directions carefully. If they want a press release, make sure you send one. If they want finished books, don’t send galleys. Make sure they review your genre of book before you submit. Follow their publication-date deadlines. And most importantly, make sure you include all your contact info: name, mailing address, website address, phone number, and email address. Also include book information: price, ISBN number, number of pages, and genre. And finally, send hard copies of your book in padded envelopes or in boxes. You don’t want them damaged before they arrive and risk an editor passing on them because they no longer look professional.

6. Send a cover letter with your submission

Make sure you address it to a specific person (the editor’s name, the book blogger’s name) and not Dear Editor. If you’ve gotten a good review from them for a past book, by all means make sure you mention it in your cover letter; something to the effect of how pleased you were with their review of your previous book, TITLE, and how you’re excited to be submitting your new book, TITLE, for their review.

7. Be aware of publishing cycles

All this information comes from James Cox, editor over at the Midwest Book Review.

Worst months to submit : October and November because you’ll be competing with lots of releases from major publishers.

Best months to submit: January & February for spring and July & August for fall, because there’ll be less competition from major publishers.

Days of the week: Do your best so your books arrive on a specific day.

Worst day: Monday–because there are more submissions on this day, your book will have much more competition for someone’s attention.

Best days: Thursday or Friday–less competition.

8. Keep good records and follow up

Know to whom you sent a copy of your book and on what date. Give them at least two weeks, then send a letter or an email asking if they’ve received your submission, and tell them you look forward to hearing from them.

If your book is reviewed in a timely fashion and they notified you of the review, put them in your “use again” pile. If they took a long time to review or never notified you of the review, put them in your “maybe use again” pile. If you never heard from them again, put them in the “don’t use again” pile.

9. Post a media kit on your website

At a minimum, your media kit should have your biography, high-resolution (300 dpi) pictures of both you and the book cover(s), a synopsis of the book, any press releases you may have, and contact information for you.

Make sure everything in your media kit/press release is professional, polished, and the very best you have to offer. Don’t send/post anything, ever, that you wouldn’t want to see in print later.

10. Thank reviewers

Send a thank-you note/email to anyone who reviews your book. They took a long time reading and reviewing your work so you take five minutes and write them a thank-you. This one is a must.

A side note on reviewers who want money

This one is your call. As a former journalist, I think there’s an inherent lack of objectivity when money is involved. That said, I also know that the bigger book review publications aren’t open to indie authors. Be aware, though, if you’re going to give them money to review your book, you most likely will NOT be in their main publication. In fact, you may only be listed on their website that may or may not have anyone at all looking at it. You will, however, be able to use that review in your own marketing, which may be worth the cost you pay.

Some review sites to consider

Free reviews:

ARMCHAIR INTERVIEWS

BOOK BLOGGER DIRECTORY (not a review site but a large listing of book bloggers you can approach for reviews)

FOREWORD MAGAZINE

INDIE READER

LIBRARY JOURNAL

MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

NEW YORK TIMES

THE BEST REVIEWS

Paid reviews:

PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

About this post’s authors:

About the Author

Mel Storm INC

Hi Shelli and Alice,

Great article! It was very informative and insightful. Even though, I’m currently still working on my first book, this post is an awesome planning tool for when the work is complete. Thank you both for sharing such fantastic information with us; especially new authors like myself. Great stuff!!

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Table of Contents

• Why Every “Bestseller List” Is Always a Lie

The Prerequisites for a Bestseller Campaign

• What’s the Tradeoff of Going for a Bestseller List?

Why These Tradeoffs Hurt (Most) Authors

Who should try for a bestselling book, how to get on every bestseller list.

More Ways to Read

• Download a PDF

How To Get On The NY Times & Every Other Bestseller Book List

Don’t Have Time Right Now?

One of the most common questions we get at Scribe is:

“How do I get my book on a bestseller list?”

Our standard answer:

“You’d be better off by totally ignoring them.”

We encourage our authors not to chase bestseller lists, but instead focus on the business and personal goals for their book.

This confuses them initially ( Having a bestselling book doesn’t get me more business? ), but once we explain the process and tradeoffs to them, the overwhelming majority discard it and focus more on the goals that are far more impactful to them.

In this comprehensive guide, I will cover everything you need to know about bestseller lists:

• How bestseller lists lie (yes, they literally lie)
• How bestseller lists actually work
• Why they’re not what they seem
• Why chasing them is a losing proposition for most authors
• What authors should focus on instead
• And—how to get on them if you insist on chasing them

Note: We’ve worked with over 2,000 Authors, including bestsellers like David Goggins and Tiffany Haddish. If you’re serious about writing and publishing your book, schedule a consultation to speak with one of our Author Strategists.

Why Every “Bestseller List” Is Always a Lie

Simply put: every bestseller list is a lie because no bestseller list measures the best selling books .

Let me repeat that, so you can grasp the gravity of what it means:

No bestseller list measures the actual best selling books.

Every single list is either measuring a limited number of sales in a few places, or far worse, it’s a curated list and a small group of people are deciding what to put on their list. And they’re picking books based on what they think are “important” books, not based on what is actually selling.

This is not my opinion. They all admit this.

The most important bestseller list is The New York Times Best Seller List, and they are the worst culprit at this curated elitism. They readily admit that their list is only “reflective” of books that are selling at a certain number of bookstores and online retailers around the country—but not  an actual best seller list.

You know why they have to admit this publicly? They were sued about it.

For most of the 20th century, they pretended to use a scientific method to count book sales, and claimed their list was authoritative and accurate.

And then William Blatty wrote a novel called The Exorcist (which has sold 10 million copies and became a famous movie). It sold more than enough copies to be high on the list for a long time, but initially did not appear on it.

He rightly claimed that the New York Times was intentionally excluding it for editorial reasons—the book was considered very controversial at the time—and claimed that their decision was costing him millions of dollars in sales.

He lost the case. Why?

Because the New York Times defense was that “the list did not purport to be an object compilation of information but instead was an editorial product. ”

The New York Times won the case, in multiple rulings all the way up to the Supreme Court, based on the argument that the list is not supposed to be accurate, but reflects their judgment.

It is a valid legal argument…but it also means The New York Times admitted that their bestseller list is just a popularity contest, and not a list of best selling books.

In essence, they select who they will and won’t put in the “cool kids” club. It’s like high school all over again.

I’ve seen this so many times, and so has everyone else in publishing. You can see this clearly if you have access to Nielsen BookScan , which is the database that tracks paid sales covering about 70-80% of book outlets. I have access, and I can see how much the New York Times list varies from the Nielsen report of actual books sold (anyone in publishing can see this, and it is a known fact).

The same thing is true, to different degrees, with the other major national lists— The Wall Street Journal , USA Today , Publisher’s Weekly .

Why (Most) Authors Are Better Off Not Trying for Bestseller Lists

Right now, you might be thinking, “ OK, even if it is all true, being a bestselling author is still a goal of mine and I want it, so I’m still going to try for it. “

OK, that’s fine. I’m not telling you it can’t be a goal.

But before you decide to go for it anyway, you need to be aware of two things:

• How hard it is to do, and the tradeoffs involved (and they are big)
• Why it is you are so eager to get it

Goals trade off in all aspects of life. You can’t have pizza and Mexican food and Italian food for dinner. You have to pick one.

Goals for your book act the same way. You can’t get everything; you have to focus on one or two goals.

This is especially true for bestseller lists. In order to even have a chance at getting on the New York Times Best Seller list, you must do all of these things:

1. Get a traditional publishing deal

With the exception of a few fiction genres like romance and horror, The New York Times still won’t recognize any book that doesn’t come from one of the big New York publishing houses as being fit for their list (that’s why I said it’s a high school clique mentality).

This is why most of the self-published or hybrid published books that have sold hundreds of thousands of copies over the past decade have never appeared on this list—they refuse to recognize them.

Example: James Altucher’s book, Choose Yourself . I helped him publish that through my publishing company (which turned into Scribe ). It’s sold over 500k copies since it came out. It even appeared on the Wall Street Journal Best Seller list—but no appearances on The New York Times Best Seller list, even though it has outsold 99% of the books that have appeared on that list since his came out.

Why? Because it’s not through a major New York publishing house, so they won’t count it.

2. Have a realistic plan to get 10k+ pre-orders

This cannot be a hope or a wish. If you don’t have at least 10k pre-ordered books—through sales channels that The New York Times sees as valid and counts in their list—you probably won’t hit the list.

That means books ordered or bought at a bookstore that reports its sales to the New York Times , or through Amazon or iBooks, or some of the other major channels that the New York Times counts. You can’t just order 10k copies from your publisher. They won’t count that.

Even if you get a corporation to sponsor you and actually buy 10k copies, you have to route those sales through a channel that The New York Times counts—or they ignore them for the purposes of the list (yes, this is a total racket).

And even better, they often won’t count any “bulk” sales, which means those sales have to be done individually.

Many “experts” will tell you that you only need to sell 5k books to hit the bestseller list. That’s not wrong, but it doesn’t work many times. In my experience helping dozens of authors work through this process, if you are an unknown author, the bar is much higher than 5k. The 5k number is applicable to known authors and books that have already been on the list, but is very dangerous for first time or non-established authors.

How do you get 10k pre-orders? There are two basic ways to do this:

• You already have an audience who is willing to pre-order your book , or
• You spend a lot of money to buy your way onto the list . This is basically “cheating,” and it usually costs more than $250k (I explain how it works at the end).

If you don’t have an audience or email list who are used to buying from you but think you’ll “go on some podcasts and throw out some tweets” and get that level of pre-orders, you’re delusional. That does not work. Only a systematic plan that is very well-executed will work.

3. Get some mainstream press to validate your book

This is not 100% necessary, but the more “mainstream media” press you get , the more the book editors at The New York Times will consider your book to be “valid.” I was very serious when I said that this is a popularity contest, and to be popular, you have to show up at the “right” places (at least, the “right” places to them).

When I say “mainstream media” I mean any media source centered around New York City or that the coastal media elite read and take seriously. Like I keep telling you, they are elitist snobs. They don’t count anything not in their universe, no matter how much it sells.

By the way—mainstream press almost never sells books . This is only about getting the editors at The New York Times to take you seriously, not about selling books.

What’s the Tradeoff of Going for a Bestseller List?

The tradeoffs of going for a bestseller list:

• There’s no guarantee you get a publishing deal : It’s a huge amount of effort to find an agent to represent you to a traditional publisher, and it’s very hard to do a good book proposal that will appeal to a publisher, and then you have to get offered a book deal—which in this day and age, you will not get without having a large audience to sell into already. Many people put all this work in and never even get offered a deal.
• Your book will take at least 18 months to publish : And that’s from the day you sign the deal, not the day you start looking (and it’ll probably take longer than that, honestly).
• You no longer own your book : You are literally selling them not only the upside profits of the book, but more importantly, you are selling them control of your intellectual property . Once they own the book, they only care about selling copies. You can no longer do anything with that book that doesn’t involve paying them for copies of it. If you want a book to help you promote you or your business, this is greatly restricts your options.
• They will make you write a book you don’t want : You want to position yourself as an expert in something, and they don’t think it appeals to enough people? They don’t care about you or your business, they only care about selling copies of books, so they’ll make you go broader. They will make consistently terrible aesthetic decisions that will ruin your content for your purposes, because publishers only care about selling books.
• You do all the work to sell it : They do no marketing. I cannot emphasize this enough—publishers expect you to do all the work of selling the book for them. They don’t have a plan to sell 10k copies your book. That’s your job.

Simply put, these tradeoffs are not worth it for most authors.

At Scribe, most of the authors we work with are not professional writers. They’re C-level executives, entrepreneurs, consultants, coaches, speakers, and other types of successful people for whom their book is not the end goal— a book is a way to reach another goal .

Their book will help them get them authority and credibility in their field, it can drive clients and leads to their business, it can get them speaking gigs; it essentially acts as an amazingly effective multi-purpose marketing tool to get them visibility. They don’t need to focus on selling copies, they need to focus writing the best possible book for their audience and their goal.

And before you ask the question, selling copies and making money from a book are not always the same thing. If you are using your book as a marketing tool to get you something else (like authority and visibility in your field, or to draw clients to your business ), then what matters is not selling copies or hitting a list, it’s the impact your book has with your intended audience.

You want to understand the difference between bestsellers and impact? Read this article  about what writing a book has done for Melissa Gonzalez.

It tripled incoming leads to her business, doubled her revenue in two years, established her as a keynote speaker, and got her media in every important retail outlet. It was resounding success in all ways for her…and it did it while selling less than 1,000 copies.

Selling copies matters if book sales are your only revenue stream—which is only true for professional authors. For people in business, a book has an entirely different purpose that often has no correlation with selling copies.

All this being said, it does make a lot of sense for professional writers to focus on bestseller lists. Professional writers look at bestseller lists as a necessary evil in their industry, because they do confer status and help them gain credibility.

So they get a smart long term plan to hit them, work the steps, and then once they’ve been on a few times they ignore them. Then, they focus on selling books directly to fans (to make more money), not hitting bestseller lists (which often means less money).

But for authors whose main revenue source is their business and use books as marketing tools, I can tell you: hitting a bestseller list creates very few tangible results for your book .

It doesn’t get your book much more attention. It doesn’t mean much for your business.  It doesn’t help sales much. It doesn’t get in front of many more clients or help your marketing.

I’m not saying it has zero effect. It can have some effect.

Almost all of the impact of hitting a bestseller list is personal and social impact . There is not much business or sales impact, and when you measure the low impact against the high tradeoffs, it’s a bad decision. This is why almost all of our authors don’t end up pursuing it.

Why Try for It? For Most Authors, It’s Usually about Status

The people we see who are most obsessed with bestseller lists are the authors who view it as a status marker that they can reach that will make people see them differently, and thus feel differently about themselves .

For these authors, striving for a bestseller list is about making them feel important. There is no real business reason. The unstated implication when an author says “I want a bestseller” is usually something like, “I want to brag to people about this and feel important because of it.”

Look, I am not judging anyone’s desire to raise their status by writing a bestselling book. My god—I put three books at #1 in the New York Times Best Seller List. Obviously I am guilty of this desire. My ego is fragile and needs recognition and validation, just like everyone else.

But understand this: a bestselling book might make you feel good for awhile, but it will not get you any real respect or fill any holes in your soul.

I say that from experience.

And even if you recognize that status as the reason you care about being a bestselling author, the best thing you can do is admit this to yourself . If you admit it, you can focus fully on that goal, make a realistic plan, and give yourself a realistic shot at actually hitting it .

Now—if you have decided to ignore my advice—I will describe the rules of every bestseller list and how to get your book on them.

Before I get into the major bestseller lists and their particular rules, there are two principles that apply to all of them; 1) velocity of sales, and 2) reporting.

Velocity of Sales Is Key

In this case, velocity of sales is defined as “amount of book sales within a specific period.”

Selling 5,000 books in a year is a pretty solid performance, but it’s not going to get you on any of the big bestseller lists. Concentrate those sales in a week, though, and now you’re looking at possibly hitting many of those lists.

That is the key concept you must understand for bestseller lists: it’s not how many books you sell, it’s how many you sell in a given time . The timeframe changes depending on this list, but the more velocity of sales you create—meaning, the more sales you pack into the shorter period of time—the better.

It is hard to sell 5,000 books in a year. To sell 5,000 in a week is ridiculously difficult, as evidenced that only a very small percentage of all books published each year do it.

In fact, barring some extreme stroke of luck, the only way I’ve ever seen first-time (or lesser known) authors hit any significant bestseller list is by first creating a large platform with an installed audience that is waiting for the book, and then selling the book into that audience.

Simply put: creating an audience of buyers for your book prior to your release is the best way to get the velocity of sales needed to hit a bestseller list .

This is why setting a release date and concentrating your marketing around it is so important to hitting a bestseller list. Setting a release date creates a manageable, self-contained window to concentrate your marketing efforts on, and use them as a mechanism to create this velocity of sales.

Reporting Sales Is Key

Not all book sales “count” for all lists, because there is no list that actually measures all book sales from all outlets. In the purest sense, there is no such thing as a “real” bestseller list.

Each list has their own method of counting sales, and each list only counts a fraction of places that books are sold. Amazon only counts books sold on Amazon. The New York Times only counts the physical bookstores that it tracks (and a few online sellers, but weigh them differently).

I’ll describe the counting methods of each list below, but the point is that you must know the way that lists counts sales, and then focus on creating velocity of sales in those ways only .  

The Rules of the Bestseller Lists Matter

Even though the odds are against you, it’s not impossible to do it. But if you want to have a shot to make a list, you must understand how bestseller lists work, so you don’t accidentally do something that interferes with the possibility of hitting the list.

For example, when Marc Ecko’s book, Unlabel , came out in 2013, it sold over 15,000 copies the first week. This was more than enough to hit the New York Times Best Seller list, but the publisher had improperly listed Ecko’s book as an “art” book instead of a “business” book, and this decision alone kept the book off all the bestseller lists (well, that in combination with the fact The New York Times curates its list and decided to keep it off).

Know the rules to bestseller lists, because breaking them can keep your book off the list, even if it deserves to be there.

The New York Times Best Seller List

This is considered the most important bestseller list, and the only one that people tend to talk about by name. If you make this list, you put “ New York Times Bestseller” on the top of books. Every other list generally gets a “National Bestseller” headline.  

Methodology: The weekly bestsellers are calculated from Monday to Monday. Here is how they describe their methodology on their own site:

“Rankings reflect sales reported by vendors offering a wide range of general interest titles. The sales venues for print books include independent book retailers; national, regional and local chains; online and multimedia entertainment retailers; supermarkets, university, gift and discount department stores; and newsstands. E-book rankings reflect sales from leading online vendors of e-books in a variety of popular e-reader formats.

E-book sales are presently included for all adult categories (fiction, non-fiction and advice) except for graphic novels, and all children’s categories with the exception of picture books. Titles are included regardless of whether they are published in both print and electronic formats or just one format. E-books available exclusively from a single vendor will be tracked at a future date.”

Let me explain this. The Times list is a survey list, not a tabulation of total sales. This means that they poll a curated selection of booksellers to estimate sales. They literally decide which bookstores and retail outlets are “important” and then only count those sales, ignoring all other sales. They also heavily weight independent bookstore sales.

This is because they think that the type of people who shop at indie bookstores are more “serious” readers and thus their reading decisions deserve more attention. I’m serious, they have said this in public.

They also focus on individual sales and try to not include bulk sales in their calculations. They do this to prevent people from buying their way onto the list (which we discuss below). If you sell 1,000 copies to a company as part of a speaking engagement deal, this is a great way to move copies and make money, but it’s not very effective for hitting the list, because they won’t count it.

And notice how they say that won’t count eBook sales from only one source? This is a direct shot at Amazon. They don’t like Amazon, and they don’t think eBooks are “real” books, and don’t want to see their eBook list dominated by Amazon’s Kindle list.

Make no mistake about it: this is all just as elitist and snobbish as it sounds .

They only recently started including eBooks in their lists, and they still heavily discount eBooks that have no print edition. Yes they track them, but they “count” their sales as less.

The reality is that even though the New York Times list is seen as the most prestigious, in many ways it’s the least connected to actual book selling reality.

Tips & Tricks:

• For the most part, they do not count self-published books. You must be through a traditional publishing company to even have a shot at this list.
• The category and window of your release all significantly impact the number of copies required to hit the NYT bestseller list, but 5,000 copies during any one-week period is the minimum. I would recommend 10,000 to be sure.
• Have your publisher pick a down time in publishing; the fewer big books you have to compete with, the better.

The Wall Street Journal Best Seller List

This list is not as prestigious as the New York Times list, but for business books at least, carries almost as much social capital. And most of the weirdness and elitism from the NYT list doesn’t apply to the WSJ list .

Methodology:

How they describe their methodology, from their site:

“ Nielsen BookScan gathers point-of-sale book data from more than 16,000 locations across the U.S., representing about 85% of the nation’s book sales. Print-book data providers include all major booksellers (now inclusive of Wal-Mart) and Web retailers, and food stores. E-book data providers include all major e-book retailers (Apple excepted). Free e-books and those sold for less than 99 cents are excluded. The fiction and nonfiction lists in all formats include both adult and juvenile titles; the business list includes only adult titles. The combined lists track sales by title across all print and e-book formats; audiobooks are excluded. “

This is about as fair and reasonable as you can get—very much the opposite of the New York Times list.

• It usually takes about 3,000-5,000 sales to hit the WSJ bestseller list.
• You can absolutely get books that aren’t from traditional publishers on this list. We did it with James Altucher’s Choose Yourself , Josh Turner’s Connect , and many others.
• There’s not much trick here. Just get the sales and you can get on this list. The important thing is making sure all of the sales come from different people and are during the opening week. Bulk sales are not counted.

The USA Today Bestseller List

This list used to be pulled straight from Nielsen Bookscan , but they recently changed and started making it a curated list, more akin to the NYT than the WSJ. Rather than separate out the categories of books,  USA Today puts them all in one category.

From their website:

“Each week, USA TODAY collects sales data from booksellers representing a variety of outlets: bookstore chains, independent bookstores, mass merchandisers, and online retailers. Using that data, we determine the week’s 150 top-selling titles. The first 50 are published in the print version of USA TODAY each Thursday. The top 150 are published online. The rankings reflect sales from the previous Monday through Sunday.

USA TODAY’s Best-Selling Books list is a ranking of titles selling well each week at a broad range of retail outlets. It reflects combined sales of titles in print and electronic format, if available. For example, if Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice sells copies in hardcover, paperback and e-book during a particular week, sales from each format are combined to determine its rank. The description of a title and the publisher name refers to the version selling the most copies in a particular week—hardcover (H), paperback (P) and e-book (E).”

• This list is not really looked at as a prestigious list. If you hit it, that’s great, but I have rarely seen a book on this bestseller list that isn’t also on the NYT or WSJ lists.
• What makes this list so strange is that you’ll see all kinds of things that don’t show up on the other lists—sudoku books, cookbooks, maps, things like that—though they have started to pull these out to focus more on “real” books. Thus the curation.

The Amazon Best Seller List

Personally, I don’t think Amazon has a bestseller list. What they do is rank the sales of their books. Even on the page that they call their “bestseller” page , it says “ Our most popular products based on sales. Updated Hourly. “

So it’s not really a bestseller list, it’s just the top 100 sellers from their site.

Why does this matter?

Well, it is an essential question if you want to call your book a bestseller. The rules for calling yourself a bestseller from any of the above outlets are clear.

What are the rules for calling your book an Amazon bestseller? It’s an open question, and a lot of people abuse it.  

To show how ridiculous this “bestseller list” status is, one of the most brilliant marketers I know, Brent Underwood, took a picture of his foot, published it as a book, and hit #1 in with it. He detailed everything here,  called out the whole group of people who sell this, and it’s a great read. It pulls back the curtain on this nonsense status symbol.

Methodology: Pure sales, just on their platform. Updated hourly. They do seem to have an algorithm that ranks the books in a trailing sales fashion. For example, if you sell 10 books in one hour, and then none the next, you don’t just fall off their list that hour. You go down some spots and keep falling, unless you start selling more books.

No one knows what Amazon’s algorithm is, and anyone who says they know for sure is probably lying (unless they work for Amazon). What most people are seeing is that the past 8 hours of sales are weighted evenly, thus making it a trailing algorithm.

• If you want to rank on Amazon , focus all your marketing efforts on one day—your release date, for instance.
• On an average launch day, it should take ~500 sales to make the Amazon Top 100.
• It usually takes about 2,000 sales in a day to hit the Amazon Top 10.
• To get to #1 in a subcategory, it takes very few sales. Usually 10, depending on the category.
• Don’t try to cheat this! Amazon is in a better situation than anyone (by tracking IP addresses and credit cards) to know if you are gaming the system. You won’t get on their list without legitimate sales, so focus your energy there instead of gaming the process. Buying 1,000 books yourself won’t work. Amazon absolutely watches this and will punish you.

The Cheat Code: Buying Your Way onto the List

Services exist that will guarantee—for a large fee—that you get on the list. They are very expensive, and for the most part, if you read the fine print, their results are not actually guaranteed (despite what they claim in their ads).

I have never used one directly, but I know the three major companies well, because we’ve had clients who used them, and the results have been mixed. Sometimes they work well, other times not.

I would estimate that a large number of books that hit the bestseller list are bought.  At least 50-100 per year, on average for the last decade.

And like I said before, buying a place on the list is a pure ego play. If spending $200,000 (yes, that’s what it costs, at least) to see your name on the NY Times Best Seller List is worth it to you, then go for it. Just be up front with yourself about what you are doing and why.

If you want to read more about buying your way onto the bestseller list, the WSJ has a good article here and Forbes writes about it here .

Regardless of whether or not you reach the top of a bestseller list, your book can still have a huge impact on your bigger business goals. Scribe has worked with over 2,000 Authors, many of whom have made well over 6 figures in revenue from the new business their book brought them.

If you’re ready to become a published Author, schedule a consultation  to speak with one of our Author Strategists. 

The Scribe Crew

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July 18, 2024

Current Issue

Reading Against the Novel

July 18, 2024 issue

James Fitzjames Stephen; woodburytype by Samuel Lock and George Whitfield, 1882

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Selected Writings of James Fitzjames Stephen: On the Novel and Journalism

One is so used to hearing of the virtues of storytelling and the transformative power of fiction that it comes as a surprise to open a collection of essays entitled On the Novel and Journalism and read: “For art of any kind I have never cared…For literature, as such, I care hardly at all.” Why, one wonders, is the eminent critic Christopher Ricks offering us such a lavishly annotated edition of this man’s work?

James Fitzjames Stephen was born in 1829 into a family of distinguished English lawyers, historians, and reformers. His grandfather was a leading figure in the antislavery movement, and his father drafted the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, which outlawed slavery in most of the British Empire. His younger brother, Leslie Stephen, was an eminent humanist and critic and the father of Virginia Woolf. James Fitzjames’s career, however, was primarily in law. Called to the bar in 1854, he published A General View of the Criminal Law of England in 1863; during his two and a half years in India he was responsible for the Indian Evidence Act (1872), which, among other reforms, eliminated inequalities of caste and religion when it came to standards of evidence. After returning to England he sought to have the principles of his Indian legislation included in English law and was made a high court judge in 1879. Oxford University Press is currently preparing an eleven-volume selection of his writings, of which this is the sixth.

So the essays in On the Novel and Journalism are not written from the perspective of someone whose main focus was literature or journalism. Rather, Stephen was deeply involved in the contemporary life of England as it emerged in courts of law, precisely the life that novels and newspapers were describing. Between the ages of twenty-six and thirty-eight, while he was working as a lawyer, Stephen wrote hundreds of book reviews and essays, mostly but not exclusively for the newly established Saturday Review . Perhaps unsurprisingly, the first in this volume is entitled “The Relation of Novels to Life” (1855).

At once it’s clear that the young Stephen read widely. Scott, Stowe, Defoe, Fielding, Smollett, Carlyle, Dickens, Thackeray, Austen, Bulwer-Lytton, and Gaskell are all cited, but also Eugène Sue and George Sand. Stephen read French and in other essays discusses Balzac, Stendhal, Flaubert, Hugo, Prévost, Dumas, and Rousseau. It’s equally clear that he enjoys his reading, appreciating and swiftly characterizing each author’s stylistic achievements. “Mr Dickens…constantly gives expression, almost personality, to inanimate objects. He invests the most ordinary affairs of life with a certain charm and poetry.” The novels of “Miss Austen…convey an impression of reality altogether extraordinary”; she “culls out and pieces together a succession of small incidents, so contrived as to develop, step by step, the characters of the persons represented.”

Nevertheless Stephen is always reading, as it were, against the text, like a prosecuting attorney scrutinizing a defendant’s testimony. “Each incident,” he continues of Austen, “taken by itself, is so exquisitely natural, and so carefully introduced, that it requires considerable attention to detect the improbability of the story,” something he then proceeds forensically to do, but as if admiring the challenge Austen had set him. Likewise the prominence Dickens gives to detail is at once admired for its creativity but declared “entirely factitious,” one of the many ways in which novels distort reality. Other distortions are the suppression of vast areas of experience (particularly work life), the undue prominence given to romantic love (“of course, every one is in love in a novel”), the alteration of historical facts, the overdefinition of character, the romanticization of crime and vice, and the evidently contrived plots.

Do such distortions matter? Stephen’s approach always has the reader, indeed society, as much in mind as the text. By the mid-1850s the novel had become the dominant form of entertainment. Prices had fallen, sales were up. “The majority of those who read for amusement, read novels…. In one shape or another they enter into the education of us all.” Young adults in particular looked to novels for “commentaries upon the life which is just opening up before [them].” Stephen grants that the novel “enlarges our experience” by providing materials that prompt “self-examination.” People cannot read Thackeray, he elaborates, “without acquiring a consciousness of a multitude of small vanities and hypocrisies which would otherwise have escaped their attention.”

However, “novels operate most strongly,” Stephen goes on, “by producing emotion.” Indeed they do this more effectively, at least as far as the general reading public is concerned, than works of history or documentary accounts. He mentions Uncle Tom’s Cabin and Dickens’s “luscious death-bed scenes.” “Habitual emotion,” he agrees, “whatever may be the exciting cause, produces some moral effects.” But this does not mean we can draw a straight analogy between the transformative consequences of, say, seeing a man “flogged to death” or attending a young person wasting away with illness and reading about such events in a novel. Aside from the different intensity of impressions arising from reading and firsthand experience, one would want to distinguish, Stephen reflects, between “a person who went to see a man die because he liked it” and “one who saw such a sight because he could not help it.” Novel readers, he implies, are regularly choosing, indeed paying for their pathos. And authors are all too willing to supply it. Dickens “gloats over [Little Nell’s] death as if it delighted him…touches, tastes, smells, and handles [it] as if it was some savoury dainty which could not be too fully appreciated.” Readers are complicit. Reality is more solemn. Stephen would have been aware that his grandfather’s life had been profoundly changed when, in Barbados, he witnessed the trial of two slaves unjustly sentenced to death by burning.

Granted that the importance of novels “must be considered very great,” and that this largely depends on their supposed representation of reality, the issue of responsibility looms. But the novelist, Stephen observes, is hard to pin down. If held to task “he can always plead that he is writing a novel, and not a political treatise.” In short, it is never clear what kind of seriousness the reader is to expect. This state of affairs is exacerbated by what Stephen identifies as a recent trend: authors “using novels to ventilate opinions.” Not that “opinions and states of mind” are not legitimate subjects of representation, but there are “dangers of partiality, of dishonesty, of false morality on the part of authors.” In particular, many novels push “social or political argumenta ad misericordiam ”; that is, they arouse pity to sway debates that should be decided on evidence and logic. Gaskell’s Mary Barton is cited: the well-known miseries of Manchester’s poor, Stephen agrees, are certainly a “fact worth representing,” but “that fact has little or nothing to do with either the cause or the remedy of their wretchedness.” The novel is “excellent,” but its “utter uselessness, politically speaking,” must be acknowledged.

Ricks presents the essays selected in chronological order of their publication, which has the advantage of showing the development and deepening of Stephen’s criticisms. A few lines of background are provided for most pieces, along with precious notes and glosses. It is astonishing, for example, to realize how often this man who cared hardly at all for literature (“as such”) uses turns of phrase that echo a wide range of literary texts from the past. In making us aware of this, Ricks inevitably alters our response to Stephen’s arguments: he cannot simply be dismissed as a philistine; indeed, the last articles in the book offer fierce criticism of Matthew Arnold for his claim that Britain was a nation of philistines.

The second essay, “Woods v . Russell” (1856), turns to journalism. During the Crimean War, Nicholas Woods was the correspondent for The Morning Herald and William Russell the correspondent for The Times . Both had contributed to the view that the British campaign in the Crimea resembled an “army of lions commanded by asses.” This had won them notoriety and popularity. Stephen takes advantage of the publication of collections of the two men’s war dispatches to analyze the evidence they offered for their criticisms. Meticulously cross-referencing their accounts, he shows how frequently they contradict each other over the most elementary facts, while on other occasions one man has clearly plagiarized the other. As with the novel, Stephen complains, newspapers enjoy great political influence, without demonstrating the sort of responsibility and impartiality that might legitimize it: “Statements of the most vehement kind are made upon any or no authority” and presented in a “showy, noisy, clever, and picturesque” style that in one case has a dead dog being described as a “decayed specimen of canine mortality.”

“A newspaper,” Stephen reminds us in a later essay, “is essentially and pre-eminently a mercantile speculation.” The power it boasts to intervene in cases of injustice is limited by its need to sustain the interest of its readers. Journalists, like novelists, labor under an obligation to be entertaining. They play to “the impatience which every one feels of being governed in a prosaic way,” thus reinforcing opinions readers already have. In a more general piece, “The History of British Journalism,” he suggests that it is “of the utmost importance that the comments of journalists should be checked,” not merely to avoid “the circulation of erroneous opinions” but to provide those in authority with the information required to govern properly (always Stephen’s central concern). Unfortunately, seriousness doesn’t pay. He quotes a report showing that none of the more reliable dailies are among the nation’s most profitable papers.

The article “Newspaper English” describes how journalists of “slight education, a fluent pen, and…natural shrewdness, [are] sent off…to describe a [naval] review at Spithead on Monday…a fête at the Crystal Palace on Wednesday, an agricultural meeting on Thursday…and an execution on Saturday,” in the “profoundest ignorance” of the things they are reporting on. To hide their inadequacy they deploy a spurious, pseudotechnical vocabulary:

One of the indispensable requisites of this style of writing is a lax phraseology—something which commits the person who uses it to as few facts, and therefore lays him open to as few contradictions, as possible.

Though apparently harmless and even, looked at one way, “a great art,” such an approach, Stephen laments, eventually “induces vagueness and inaccuracy of thought,” which then turns up in public life. He quotes a jury verdict that he suspects was contaminated by such newspaperspeak. On the other hand, when setting himself the task of examining the supposedly scabrous Sunday papers (targeted, Ricks reminds us, by the Lord’s Day Observance Society), Stephen finds them the victim of “unjust prejudice.” He is impressed by their concision and decorum. Those who publish criticisms of them on Monday, he observes, clearly wrote their articles on Sunday.

Stephen is not without his lighter side. A discussion of the technical jargon flaunted in the many popular nautical novels of the time is hilarious: “When, for example, we read that ‘[a ship] was topping the heavy seas as they rose with a long floating cleave, that carried her counter fairly free of the after-run’…&c.&c., we feel as if we were listening to a magical incantation,” a state of mind that then excuses our “easy acquiescence in improbabilities.” An article entitled “Groans of the Britons” reviews the kinds of complaints that letter writers address to the “sympathizing bosom” of their newspapers, usually The Times , declaring them

the most curious illustrations of the intense and disinterested affection which an Englishman feels for himself. That he, the heir of all the ages [a quotation from Tennyson]…should be uncomfortable, strikes him not so much in the light of a personal wrong as in that of a blot on the face of creation.

A fascinating article examining book sales at railway stations marvels at the three hundred passengers who bought the huge volumes of Thomas Macaulay’s History of England , sometimes from boys crying them “up and down the platform,” and wonders why religious books are mostly bought in Wales, often in surprising numbers: 20,000 copies of The Life of Captain Hedley Vicars , an evangelical killed in the Crimean War, “went off in a single day.”

Nevertheless, as the articles accumulate and Stephen’s anthropological eye dissects a wide range of reading experiences, one overriding theme emerges. “If we consider the infinitely elaborate apparatus which we have constructed to satisfy our appetite for amusement,” he concludes the essay on railway newsstands, “we shall be filled with a kind of awe.” Yet the more entertainment is provided, the more it becomes confused with politics. A fiction writer, Stephen reflects, “is almost always a person of more than average sensibility, and these qualities are almost certain to put their possessor more or less in opposition to the established state of things.” Hence novelists collude with newspapers to exaggerate “the failure, the prejudices, and the stupidity of the executive,” in part because this is a popular stance to assume. (“The course which [journalists] take,” Stephen insists, “is, and always will be, determined by the public.”)

But just as one wouldn’t want to instill in readers a “blind admiration” of “the institutions under which they live,” to encourage them to be “discontented with and disaffected to” those institutions “cannot but be a serious evil.” “The rule of truth is the only safe rule.” But can novels be trusted to observe it, given the allowances always made for “the necessities of the story”? (Stephen recalls how Charlotte Brontë regretted having exaggerated the cruelty of the school described in Jane Eyre , thus causing considerable distress to its charitable founders.) “The question at issue,” he finally makes explicit in an article of 1858, is: “Are novels proper vehicles for direct political and social discussions, or is amusement their legitimate object?” The test case for exploring this question could only be the novelist who more than any other enjoyed “unbounded and enthusiastic popularity”: Dickens.

Again and again Stephen seeks to refine his objections to Dickens and, through Dickens, “the cultus of the middle classes” who buy his books. The writer’s “exquisite skill” in sustaining a “flow of spirit and drollery” is never denied, but there is a difference, Stephen insists, between “the skill in the production of literary effects, and skill in the verification and employment of alleged evidence.” If the government is to be so repeatedly brought to the dock, then evidence, or at least a fair representation, is required. Dickens, though, is one of those novelists who “caricature instead of representing the world.” Nor does his popularity altogether depend on his genius, but rather on “the exquisite adaptation of his own turn of mind to the peculiar state of feeling which still prevails in some classes.” Both share a “spirit of revolt against all established rules,” this largely in reaction, Stephen concedes, to the quantities of “cant [that] had been in fashion about the wisdom of our ancestors, the glorious constitution…and other such topics.” (Ricks provides, as an example, Sydney Smith’s deliriously patriotic “Noodle’s Oration” of 1824.)

Essentially, Dickens is accused of milking this irreverent spirit for all it’s worth, each new novel highlighting this or that abuse of power, of which, Stephen claims, the writer has only “his first notions…from the discussions which accompany its removal.” Dickens’s method is to “take a melancholy subject, and rub the reader’s nose in it,” proceeding with a combination of “banter and sentiment”; shallow feelings are deployed in the absence of proper argument to the point that feeling becomes an end in itself, together with a general complacency about “doing good.”

Ricks includes Dickens’s lengthy response to one of these attacks. The novelist picks up on two mistaken assumptions Stephen has made in his criticism and mocks him mercilessly, reiterating his own contempt for government but without seriously addressing the issues Stephen raises. Stephen remains undeterred. With a training in adversarial legal process, he seems to appreciate such spats, regretting, in a later essay on Matthew Arnold, that Arnold’s response to criticisms was “too goodnatured”: “There is no pleasure in hitting a man who will not hit you back again; who says meekly that it is not his nature to ‘dispute on behalf of any opinion…very obstinately.’” Writing about Macaulay, he remarks that “the systematic vigour of his expressions must force his opponents, if they have any power of mind at all, into an attempt to invest their objections to them with something like equal clearness.” He appears, that is, to have a genuine confidence that polemic will lead, if not to truth, then at least in the right direction.

In any event, however heated the battle with Dickens became, there was no question of an attack ad personam . In 1858 Dickens separated from his wife of many years, the mother of their ten children, banishing her from the family home and publishing an ill-advised and defensive letter about their split in The Times . Stephen does not take advantage, even in an essay of 1863 on “common forms” in novels, in which the convenient death of David Copperfield’s foolish first wife, followed by a wiser second marriage, is offered as an example of a now-hackneyed plot formula: “You get an affecting deathbed, two courtships…wounded affection…all by the help of a process which enables the hero to have his cake and eat his cake.” “It is, indeed, a pity,” he ironizes, perhaps looking forward to modern academe, “that technical names should not be invented” for such tropes, “so that their peculiarities might be announced in the advertisements.”

Even when not writing about Dickens, Stephen’s aversion to the Dickensian ethos is implicit. Thackeray’s Barry Lyndon is admired for the convincing complexity of its characters and the absence of caricature, sentimentality, or moralizing: “The book has a moral, if the reader knows how to look for it; but it is kept in its proper place, and is suggested by the facts, instead of suggesting them.” Likewise Balzac’s characters are enjoyed for “the extraordinary good faith with which they are drawn,” without “melodramatic starts and fantastic tricks of expression,” while the author is commended for having apparently “studied with considerable depth and acuteness, and with a genuine wish to understand their working, many of the institutions amongst which he found himself placed.” If, when writing about vice and immorality, Balzac does so in the same spirit, he is entitled to the defense “J’écris pour les hommes, non pour les jeunes filles.” An English novel, on the other hand, Stephen regrets, being “in some respect like a sermon,” was addressed to such a wide public that “a large proportion of the most important social and moral subjects must of necessity be tabooed.”

This was one issue on which Dickens very much agreed. In a letter written during his long marital crisis he complained that public “morality” in England prevented a writer from tackling “any of the experiences, trials, perplexities, and confusions inseparable from the making or unmaking of all men!” But taboo subjects were not just a problem for novelists. Stephen remarks:

Most writers are so nervous about the tendencies of their books, and the social penalties of unorthodox opinion are so severe…that philosophy, criticism and science itself too often speak amongst us in ambiguous whispers what ought to be proclaimed from the house tops.

How familiar this last observation sounds. “There are few more instructive branches of literary inquiry,” Stephen begins an article on the essays of Addison and Steele, published 150 years before his time, “than the comparison of the different amusements of different generations.” The wit and elegance of these essayists, he notes, that “feeling of repose and security with regard to all the most important subjects,” are unimaginable in the 1850s, since “the substratum of belief which enabled them [to write as they did] no longer exists.” A modern writer no longer asks of “any line of conduct…whether it is right or wrong, true or false, wise or foolish, but whether it can be so represented as to enlist the reader’s sympathies.”

Reading this collection we are inevitably drawn to compare Stephen’s time with our own, another 150 years on. Indeed, comparison and contrast are the very nature of our riveted engagement with the book: we feel wonderment for a time when the novel dominated public discourse, fascination for the way Stephen can make assumptions that would be taboo today, and for the fact that novelists could not write about things then that are now described ad nauseam. On the one hand, one wishes to rush to defend Dickens (Ricks provides us with Ruskin’s remark that “Dickens’s caricature, though often gross, is never mistaken”); on the other hand, one has to acknowledge that the politicization of the novel (not to mention movies and TV series) that Stephen deplores is now so widely accepted and applauded that it would seem folly even to try to argue against it, unless perhaps by republishing the persuasive essays of a critic from the past.

It would not be difficult to build all kinds of defenses for the novel that Stephen ignores: for example, that each author’s particular perspective on life introduces us to a different world of feeling, which itself is part of reality; that the novels of the past offer us a taste of the ethos of the time, against which we can understand our own time better; or, as Ricks concludes, that the novel, “like all the arts,” exists to pose the questions “ What is truth? and What truth is there in this? ” But by responding in this way we simply acknowledge what Ricks calls “the valuable invitation that can be extended by a principled calling-in-question.”

Yet the interest of this collection goes far beyond any specific polemic, and if anything the invitation it extends is to think afresh not so much about the novel and journalism but about the entire phenomenon of heated cultural debate. The issues Stephen discusses remain sufficiently pertinent to stimulate our attention, but perhaps because the specific controversies are so distant, we find we can enjoy both sides of the argument and see how much its antagonists had in common, in the way they lay out their cases and in the principles they appeal to. The very eagerness to contest what the other thinks is a manifestation of lively community. Shrewdly framed by Ricks’s introduction and notes, On the Novel and Journalism proves unexpectedly heartening: the much-maligned Victorians offer good company; we need not feel we are alone in our present “culture wars.” Setting Stephen down, I even imagined that 150 years hence someone might read a collection of the writings of some protagonist of our own ill-tempered debates and conclude that we had a great deal more in common than we supposed.

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The New York Times Book Review: 125 Years of Literary History Hardcover – November 2, 2021

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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Clarkson Potter (November 2, 2021)
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Peak summer is finally here, which means I’m reading outside. Whether I’m poolside or beachside, a fresh, new paperback is in my hand, my facial sunscreen in the other.

In the spirit of days spent reading underneath the sun’s rays, I resorted to plenty of beach reads this month, more than the usual I’d typically reach for. On a tropical island vacation, I completed three page-turning plot lines (but more on that below).

Whether you’re an avid follower of Reese’s Book Club and Read with Jenna like me, or you simply want to find some hidden gems on the *online* bookshelves, this list is for you. Wonderfully curated, perfect for reading.

RELATED : Best May book releases, ranked by Amazon Books Editors

Ahead, you’ll find full reviews for each book I read in June, along with some commentary from the Amazon Books Editors . You’ll also want to toggle to the end of the list for some additional recommendations, too.

“The Main Character” by Jaclyn Goldis

Fans of Agatha Christie may want to check out this homage to “ Murder on the Orient Express .”

In this new page-turner, a reclusive author invites a specially chosen group of people aboard the newly-renovated Orient Express to travel from Cinque Terre to Positano, intending to fictionalize any drama that ensues. It was deeply engaging and set in a glamorous, must-read-about setting. It’s the perfect balance between a picturesque summer novel and an engaging story.

“Pair an original, dramatic plot with interesting characters in a glamorous setting, throw in a dollop of fascinating history and you get a riveting read,” Vannessa Cronin, senior editor at Amazon Books Editorial, exclusively told the New York Post, singing the title’s praises.

“The Perfect Marriage” by Jeneva Rose

Meet one of my five-star reads for 2024: “The Perfect Marriage” by Jeneva Rose. Twisty, riveting and completely un-put-down-able, the story will have you hooked until the very last page. Plus, the ending is one I didn’t naturally suspect, which makes the reading experience that much more spicy.

Not to mention, we love a good courtroom thriller, especially one where it’s not clear who’s innocent or guilty. “Rose really ups the ante here, where a defense attorney has to defend her own husband on charges he murdered his mistress,” Cronin said. “Nobody handles skeletons in the closet with such a chilling effect quite like Geneva Rose. She also excels at devising the kind of twists that you don’t see coming, which makes this the perfect summer read.”

“The Resort” by Sara Ochs

Who doesn’t dream of a fresh start in a tropical paradise? But that fresh start turns nightmarish in Ochs’ twisty thriller, as a series of murders means someone in a group of international expats is having their past catch up to them.

“If you like sun-soaked exotic settings, a large cast of characters with shady pasts, and you like books by Rachel Hawkins or Catherine Steadman, this is the read for you,” Cronin noted, recommending the novel. Nobody can resist a tropical paradise after all, and I enjoyed the unique angle and rich detail set in a summertime-soaked setting.

“Nora Goes Off Script” by Annabel Monaghan

With Annabel Monaghan’s new novel “ Summer Romance ,” I decided to finally hop on the bandwagon and read her three novels for the ultimate June beach-reading month. It was absolutely delightful, allowing for the perfect escape on a beautiful summer day.

“We binge-read this tale about Nora, a recently divorced scriptwriter,” Cronin began explaining. “When she throws out the formula she uses to write romance scripts for a Hallmark-like channel and writes from her bruised heart, it brings her attention from Hollywood and even a hot movie star who may feature in Nora’s second act.”

This clever, charming rom-com (which is also an Amazon Editors’ pick) about a single mom and her two kids — all apprehensive about risking their hearts again — made the Amazon team “fall hard,” per Cronin.

“Same Time Next Summer” by Annabel Monaghan

Following “Nora Goes Off Script,” Monaghan’s “Same Time Next Summer” was another magical read that has everything you can ask for in a beach read.

With Sam’s life on track — complete with the dreamy doctor fiancé and a fabulous job in Manhattan— she feels as if everything is going to plan. Just as she’s about to tour wedding venues, she runs into her 17-year-old love interest who broke her heart way back when. The rest, you’ll want to read.

“Summer Romance” by Annabel Monaghan

My favorite of Monaghan’s novels is unveiled. “Summer Romance” is like “Grease” in a book, which made me love it so much more. The characters shared an original and captivating love story that felt cozy and whimsical. It has to be one of the best new releases of the summer, by far.

“Annabel Monaghan writes witty, messy, complicated women I want to be friends with,” Abby Abell, senior editor at Amazon Books Editorial, told The Post. “In ‘Summer Romance,’ Ali is a professional organizer whose life is in chaos. But when her friend’s younger brother returns to town, he remembers Ali as the vibrant, fearless girl who he’s always had a crush on; and she starts to remember that girl, too.”

This is a story about what a scary but worthwhile risk love is, in all its many forms. It’s an endearing, charming romantic comedy that was, unsurprisingly, an Amazon Editors’ pick for June.

“Meet Me in Tahiti” by Georgia Toffolo

Not gonna lie, I decided to pick up “Meet Me in Tahiti” by Georgia Toffolo purely based on the title. It’s an empowering, inclusive and lovely beach read that’s sure to be unlike any you’ve read.

This story centers on Zoe, the fun-hearted protagonist who caught herself falling for the bad boys (ahem, Finn). When she got into a car crash at 18 years old, she had to adjust to being unable to walk again.

Flash forward years later, Zoe is a travel writer who’s about to review a luxury hotel. The owner? Finn. That’s truly all you need to know before adding it to your cart and enjoying the summertime thrill this book has to offer.

“This Summer Will Be Different” by Carley Fortune

“This transporting, swoon-worthy romance (and an Amazon Editors’ pick) follows Lucy as she visits Prince Edward Island (PEI) and has an instant connection, and an incredibly sexy night, with local Felix,” Abell shared. “But the world is small, and it turns out that Felix is her best friend Bridget’s brother…and very off limits.”

The longing in this book is matched only by the incredible setting that has just about everyone planning a trip to PEI. It’s aching and beautiful, and another five-star read of mine. Not to mention, Fortune’s best novel yet.

“Malibu Summer” by Libby Gill

If you’re a fan of second-chance romances, try your hand at opposites-attract romance. It couldn’t be more engaging, especially when the dreamy scenery of Malibu is tossed into the mix.

Here, Ivy Bauer is an ambitious soil scientist who’s also the entrepreneur of an organic irrigation system. When her husband is killed in a biking accident, she takes a summer job in Malibu as a gardener, allowing her time to grieve.

She then meets Conrad, a former Hollywood actor, who’s also experiencing grief after the death of his wife. When their paths cross, it’s both an enemies-to-lovers vibe mixed with the most beautiful story.

“The Bridesmaids” by Victoria Jenkins

Wholly on-brand for me as I recently got engaged (and love thrillers ), “The Bridesmaids” by Victoria Jenkins couldn’t have been a more “ ooh, I’ll pick this up ” novel.

Holly is getting married and there’s a bachelorette party. But then, one body among the group is found and a bridesmaid is the killer. It was a bit seemingly out-of-reach at times, but boy did it create a captivating story from beginning to end.

“Swan Song” by Elin Hilderbrand

Me: *cries because this is Elin Hilderbrand’s last novel.*

I can’t begin to describe how phenomenal this beach read is. It’s the fourth installment of the author’s beaming Nantucket series, with each one better than the next. Not to mention, Hilderbrand is the Queen of the Beach Read, so this new summer release is one that’ll keep you turning each page and fantasizing about every sweltering day of summer.

Other June Books to read, per the Amazon Books Editorial team

“james” by percival everett.

“With the same fiery wit, snap and energy of his previous work, Percival Everett brings to life a retelling of ‘ Adventures of Huckleberry Finn ‘ and, in so doing, delivers an entirely new classic, one that is rip-roaringly American, wry and hard-hitting,” Al Woodworth, senior editor at Amazon Books Editorial, shared.

It’s a knock-out, and it was also the Amazon Books Editorial team’s unanimous pick for the No.1 Best Book of the Year So Far , which the team just announced.

“The Women” by Kristin Hannah

One of the Amazon Editors’ favorite novels of 2024 so far, Kristin Hannah’s “The Women,” has just as much emotional heft as her best-selling “ The Nightingale .”

“It’s a story that honors the combat nurses who served in Vietnam, and in doing so, expands the definition of what a war hero is,” Erin Kodicek, senior editor at Amazon Books Editorial, shared. It was also one of my favorite of Hannah’s books that I read this year.

“All the Worst Humans: How I Made News for Dictators, Tycoons and Politicians” by Phil Elwood

“This wild, oh-my-God memoir will make your jaw drop,” Woodworth said. “A public relations hit man dishes on all of his dirty deeds and it’s not only impossible to put down, it’s impossible not to talk about.”

In other words, it’s the perfect summer nonfiction reading and why it’s Amazon’s No. 1 nonfiction pick for the Best Book of the Year So Far.

“The Ministry of Time” by Kaliane Bradley

Amazon’s No. 4 pick for Best Book of the Year So Far is Kaliane Bradley’s awe-inducing debut that’s a time travel-spy thriller-government conspiracy-love story, and so much more.

“In a near-future London, a time travel device is discovered by a top-secret agency that uses it to bring back ‘expats’ from different times in history,” Abell explained. “This genre-bending novel explores humanity in all its frailty and potential, and how love can alter the course of history. It’s a fantastical novel that’s funny, riveting, heartbreaking and unputdownable.”

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