Monday, April 21, 2008
New Bestseller Lists for March Sales
Now that CBA has posted its May list (reflecting sales in March), we can now compare a full CBA list to the ECPA April list (also reflecting March sales). They're quite different. I've highlighted the ones that appear on one list and don't appear on the other at all.
CBA
1. The Shack, William Young
2. Someday, Karen Kingsbury
3. Summer, Karen Kingsbury
4. Blink of an Eye, Ted Dekker
5. Adam, Ted Dekker
6. Redeeming Love, Francine Rivers
7. Sabrina, Lori Wick
8. Dear to Me, Wanda Brunstetter
9. Parting, Beverly Lewis
10. Lady of Hidden Intent, Tracie Peterson
11. Sunrise, Karen Kingsbury
12. Touch of Grace, Lauraine Snelling
13. Between Sundays, Karen Kingsbury
14. Just Beyond the Clouds, Karen Kingsbury
15. Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis
16. First the Dead, Tim Downs
17. My Heart Remembers, Kim Sawyer
18. Home to Holly Springs, Jan Karon
19. (Tie) Time to Mend, Sally John
19. (Tie) Last Jihad, Joel Rosenberg
ECPA
1. Shack, William Young
2. Someday, Karen Kingsbury
3. Blink of an Eye, Ted Dekker
4. Dead Heat, Joel Rosenberg
5. Dear to Me, Wanda Brunstetter
6. Lady of Hidden Intent, Tracie Peterson
7. Touch of Grace, Lauraine Snelling
8. Time to Mend, Sally John
9. Healing Stones, Nancy Rue
10. Sister's Test, Wanda Brunstetter
11. First the Dead, Tim Downs
12. Hood, Stephen Lawhead
13. My Heart Remembers, Kim Sawyer
14. Sister's Choice, Judith Pella
15. Sabrina, Lori Wick
16. Summer, Karen Kingsbury
17. Quaker Summer, Lisa Samson
18. On Her Own, Wanda Brunstetter
19. Sunrise, Karen Kingsbury
20. Redeeming Love, Francine Rivers
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4 comments:
It's interesting to see the differences. What a crazy business!
Thanks for providing the comparison. Some of those "missing names" appeared this time.
Of course, I wonder what these lists mean since it seems likely that the average reader doesn't know or care that they exist.
Except for those that visit here... ;-)
Becky
I've never thought the lists by themselves matter much. What does matter is how they affect marketing. If an author appears on the list he can legitimately put "bestselling author" on the cover of his next book, for example.
More direct--bookstore use of the CBA list. Many bookstores will pull out books on the list, at least those in the top ten or so, and feature them significantly in the store. Which in turn leads to more sales. Or take a publisher trying to get a fairly new author on the shelves on B&N. That store can't stock everyone, but may well tend to stock those authors making the bestseller list. (The publisher doesn't need to share ANY proprietary data for this, btw--all they have to do is point to the public list.)
So bottom line in my opinion--a list is not an end in itself. It often is rather a beginning--a nudge--toward further sales. That's why it's important to have accurate, fair lists.
Thanks, Brandilyn. That helps clarify things. I think you may have mentioned the "best-selling" tag use of the term before. That sounds familiar.
But the perpetuation of the list by bookstores stocking those titles (and authors) that appear on the list is ... not surprising, but certainly confining, for lack of a better term.
It seems, to me, as if good business would suggest broadening the buyer base, or expanding the available purchases for the base you have (husbands, children, teens, for instance).
You're doing that with your BHCC. I love the idea. You don't read suspense (you bawk-bawker, you ;-)? Buy for the friend, spouse, child who DOES. What a novel approach! LOL
Becky
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