Valley of the Dolls

Valley of the Dolls appears in How to make a BOOK into a bestseller as Jacqueline Susann’s bestseller and as the episode’s example of targeted book-sales strategy. The source says Susann used relationships with booksellers to route purchases through stores believed to matter for the [[NewYorkTimesBestsellerList|New York Times bestseller list]].

The book functions as a case where Bestseller List Opacity creates tactical behavior. If the list is weighted by a hidden sample of stores, then promotion can become a search for likely reporting channels rather than a simple effort to maximize all sales equally.

Connections

• Jacqueline Susann - author associated with the source case.
• New York Times Bestseller List, Bestseller List Opacity, Bestseller Status Feedback Loop, and Pre-Order Launch Concentration - concepts illustrated by the story.
• Book Publishing Economics and Retail Shelf Placement - wider publishing and bookstore mechanics.