James Patterson accused The New York Times of “cooking” List of best sellersshowing how the paper does not seem to base the list on sales alone but on some other kind of complex methodology.
Author Patterson raised concerns last weekend in a tweet raising doubts about how the list was calculated.
What’s up with the NYTimes bestseller lists? Anyone but me notice @MikePompeo’s book has sold more copies than the 6 titles on today’s list? ‘ Asked.
And last week, a JD Robb (pseudonym for Nora Roberts) novel was not on the list of novels even though it was still selling more than 4 other titles there. By “best seller,” does the Times mean best to its target audience? ” he wrote.
As an author, Patterson, who claims to be an independent left-wing politician, has thrived like few others, publishing several bestsellers each year, including novels and children’s books.
Bestselling author James Patterson has accused The New York Times of manipulating their best-seller list by not basing it solely on sales.
Patterson expressed his concerns on Twitter after noticing that some books with lower sales made the list while others with higher sales did not.
He is ranked with JK Rowling and a handful of others among the world’s richest writers.
But after The New York Times failed to respond to his tweets, the 76-year-old wrote a formal letter to the paper’s editor, which also failed to elicit a response.
They told my publishers that they don’t count on just “raw” sales. He explained in a tweet on Sunday, while posting the entire message.
Patterson, arguably the world’s most prolific writer, with more than 400 titles to his name: thrillers, non-fiction on subjects ranging from Jeffrey Epstein to the Kennedys to emergency nurses, as well as true crime books, and children’s and young adult fiction, has told of his longtime support for the paper before to clarify his point of view.
I’m a longtime reader of the New York Times. Since 1971, when I first moved to New York City, I’ve devoured your newspaper. all. bachelor. day. … I am also an author and have paid particular attention to your book review section and to the bestseller lists it contains. As a newspaper reader, I know that sometimes mistakes happen.
Patterson’s books have been on The New York Times Best Seller lists more than 4,000 times and are at #5 this week.
According to BookScan, Walk the Blue Line, left, all but three books on the New York Times list of 15 books sold out last week. Meanwhile, a book by former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo did not make the list, although six other books topped the list.
“You often miss self-criticism and correct handling on your bestseller lists,” Patterson said.
Your retailer should be reassured in the print that “Retailers’ reporting panel is comprehensive and reflects sales in tens of thousands of stores of all sizes and demographics across the United States.” But it is not. Because he is crazy. Tens of thousands of libraries? Books shows no doubt about the claim.
The real problem is where you say “sales are statistically weighted to accurately represent and accurately reflect all outlets nationwide.” Because here you are suggesting that your operation has statistical accuracy. It simply does not. As bookstores and publishers in the country have known for years and can Proving that your lists are often outside the realm of statistical possibility is far less plausible.
Patterson explained how one of his latest books, ‘Walk the Blue Line’ which details first-hand stories of American police, outsold all but three of the 15 books on the Times list. .
Patterson posted his letter to a New York Times editor on Twitter after the newspaper decided not to publish it
Patterson implored the New York Times about its methodology, “I’m asking you, please, to stop it.”
Patterson said how the book outsold the last seven books on the list, according to BookScan, but his book didn’t fare.
“Someone’s not good at math,” he quipped.
He also noted that a book by former US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was not included in the list, although six other books topped the list.
Perhaps I’m being stupid for thinking that Best Seller is supposed to be a measure of what is most popular among my fellow readers who buy books, as opposed to some of the Times’ value judgments about the way books were sold. Anyway, I’m asking you to cut it, please.
In response to an inquiry from DailyMail.com regarding the author’s claims, a New York Times spokesperson clarified the publication’s approach.
We replied to Mr. Patterson to let him know that we take his concerns seriously and are always reviewing our methods of compiling Best Seller lists to ensure we provide the best service to our readers.
Our bestseller lists are based on detailed analysis of book sales from a wide variety of retailers, tens of thousands of brick-and-mortar stores of all sizes, and numerous online booksellers to bring you the best selling items across the United States. . For more information about the confidential reporting process or how books create our lists, please see our methodology and this explanation in Bestseller Lists.
We have and will continue to keep track of Mr. Patterson’s latest books. In the past 15 years, Mr. Patterson’s books have been on our bestseller lists more than 4,000 times.
