What is a bestseller?
A bestseller is a book, or other product, that sells in very large numbers and appears on lists ranking the top sellers, such as The New York Times Best Seller list.
Bestseller lists rank books based on sales over a set period, usually a week. The New York Times list, first published in 1931, is the most famous in the United States. Other well-known lists are published by USA Today, Publishers Weekly and The Sunday Times in the UK. Each list uses its own data and rules.
Being called a bestseller can boost a book's sales even more, so authors and publishers proudly print the label on covers. Lists are divided into categories such as hardcover fiction, nonfiction, paperback and children's books. A book can be a bestseller for just one week or stay on the list for years.
How many copies?
There is no fixed number of sales needed to become a bestseller. It depends on the list, the category and the competition that week. In a quiet week, a few thousand copies might be enough, while in a busy season far more may be needed.
Did You Know?
The term bestseller first appeared in the late 1800s, when American magazines began publishing lists of popular books.