Laura McGrath

Laura McGrath appears in How to make a BOOK into a bestseller as a Temple University professor who teaches the history of the bestseller and explains why the [[NewYorkTimesBestsellerList|New York Times bestseller list]] carries special weight for publishers, readers, and writers.

Her role is to turn the list from a prestige label into an economic institution. She explains Bestseller List Opacity, historical attempts to game the list, the role of pre-orders, and why Bulk Book Buying and Book Laundering matter especially in nonfiction.

Key Claims

• The New York Times list is treated as more important than other bestseller lists by many publishers, readers, and writers.
• Bestseller placement can generate new demand through store placement, online visibility, advertising language, and status.
• People have tried to influence the list for as long as the list has existed.
• Secrecy about reporting stores and weighting makes gaming harder but also creates a strategy problem for authors and publishers.
• Nonfiction authors can have strong incentives to seek bestseller status because it can raise speaking and consulting value.

Connections

• New York Times Bestseller List, Bestseller List Opacity, Bestseller Status Feedback Loop, and Bestseller Speaker Economy - concepts she helps explain.
• Gene Shepard, Jacqueline Susann, and William Peter Blatty - historical cases discussed through her commentary.
• Temple University - academic affiliation in the source.
• Planet Money, NPR, and Planet Money Book - source and book-launch context.