This morning, my editor and agent emailed me to inform me of the changes recently made to the New York Times bestseller list. As many of you know, the New York Times has long published a list featuring the top selling books of the week, broken down by different formats and markets. This list is more than a boon to the authors whose books appear on it, although it is considered a status symbol to call yourself a “New York Times” bestselling author. It’s also a snapshot of what Americans at large are reading. Granted, there has been some fair criticism about certain books making the NYT list while others didn’t, but that’s another issue. Even with its imperfections, the New York Times bestseller list was primarily a list by readers – since their purchases determined which books were on it – and for readers since readers are the intended audience of every newspaper publication.
Now, however, things have changed. Despite ebooks being the preferred format for over 50% of adult fiction readers (and some studies show ebooks nearing the 50% mark for all books purchased*), the New York Times has eliminated “E-book bestsellers” from its categories. They didn’t stop there. They also eliminated the “Mass Market” category entirely, and if you’re not familiar with the term, “mass markets” are the smaller-sized, less expensive versions of paperback books.
To me, it doesn’t seem like a sound business practice to tell 50% of your customer base that you’re not interested in their views. It also doesn’t seem ethical to publish a list purportedly showing the top books Americans are reading while deliberately excluding around half of America’s reader base. More importantly, however, I see this as the New York Times telling me, a reader of primarily mass markets and ebooks, that I don’t matter to them. Neither do other readers of ebooks and/or mass market titles. The only readers they care about, per their newly-restricted bestseller categories, are the readers of hard cover and Trade paperback books.
Why? Some think it’s elitism. Mass markets and ebooks are the main format for a lot of genre fiction, and genre fiction has frequently been sneered at as “lesser” members of the literary family. Some think it’s a form of retaliation against the continued advancement of the digital market. Newspapers like the New York Times have lost a good deal of money ** due to people canceling their print subscriptions in favor of getting their news online, so some believe this might be a simple case of sour grapes.
In all honesty, I don’t know why the New York Times did this. I only know I can’t think up a single good reason to tell millions of readers that they don’t matter by eliminating those readers’ preferred formats from a list that’s supposed to represent what people are reading. I doubt the New York Times will care about my opinion, however. They’ve already shown that readers like me aren’t important to them.
*Source.
That is just sucky. When authors are hard cover first I buy ebooks then when they come out in mass I buy them. Space is limited and I figure this way my favorite authors get something. I very rarely buy hard cover.
This just shows how out of touch the NYT is about readers. Newspapers should actually do anything to get people to subscribe to their service. My grown kids don’t even subscribe to any newspaper. Pretty soon the NYT will find themselves out of business. Too bad, so sad.
It’s also frustrating as a writer, who has yet to make the list, that the chances that I now will are slim-to-not-going-to-happen. My books are published through a small press, and only available as ebooks or mass market paperback. I always looked forward to having that distinction one day, but oh well…I’m not that important to them.
As, a reader it says, hey…we don’t give a crap what you read if you don’t read what we think is the new hot thing right now.
Hi Jeaniene,
Oh my! I’m feeling the need to be unpleasant towards the NYT. I don’t want to use bad language but if I were to say that I’d like to tell them to suck it, would that be bad of me?
I’ll be honest and say that typically, I don’t buy hard covers because they are not easy to carry around and read. There are certain books I do have the hard cover for, but there were specifics to those situations. I prefer mass market. They take up less room on the selves and they are easier to carry around and read. I don’t do well with ebooks, so I’m grateful that you do mass market. Although smaller sized hard covers, like the two Johanna Lindsey did “The Present” and “Home for the Holidays” I didn’t mind because they were small sized hard covers, around 5″ x 7″. That’s easy to carry around.
There are only *two* authors that I bought trade paperbacks of their books. Bertrice Small, because she was one of the first romance authors I read, and Kathleen Woodiwiss. I was sorry to see them both pass.
The elitism would not surprise me. I heard about it, a long time ago, from friends that ran comic book shops. Apparently Science Fiction, Fantasy and Comics are right down there with romance. However, when I saw romance authors hitting the NYT Bestsellers, I figured they were getting over it. Maybe they have, but maybe aspects of the literary world have not.
Here’s my two cents for the NYT. I don’t read literature, for the most part. There are certain short stories I like from college, but for the most part I avoid it like the plague. I read, romance, science fiction, fantasy and comics. I have some lit, such as “To Kill a Mockingbird,” which although I had to read it for school, I wound up really liking. Most modern fiction, even romance, I don’t read because I like my romance to be either historical, or have a science fiction/fantasy twist. I don’t read most modern fiction because I have my real life for that. When I read, I want to get away from it all and that step away from reality is what helps. Are there exceptions? Yes, but they are few and far between. However, what the NYT, and possibly those other aspects of the literary world are missing, is that these genres are telling *good* stories. The writers are creating great characters and finding ways to create a connection between these characters and the readers which makes us care about them. (cough, cough)Rodney(cough, cough) There is thought going into these stories and it’s not just about the sex. And I think that’s what some of these people don’t care to admit. The sales on their books maybe are dropping off and they don’t like it. Well too bad. I’m not going to change my reading habits just because of some title.
This reader is not going anywhere.
Roseann
PS: Hey is that a sale on toilet paper? (wink,grin)
Hi, Jeaniene, hi american readers !
if my point of view from France can be useful, let me say that this list reminds me a lot of what we have in my country : you can find lists of “meilleures ventes de romans” in every newspaper ,but most of them are based on “littérature”. That is to say you will never find fantasy, science-fiction, romance, thriller etc. (Is it what you call “genre”?) Some even focus on french authors.
For elitism, France is the first !
Never mind. I love your novels and I’m getting very impatient for “the night prince #4”, I already know I will spend a great time reading it even if it’s not in one of the french bestsellers lists !
To an author it must feel amazing to make the best sellers list, to be recognized, and it sucks that NYT is doing this. As a reader I can honestly say I’ve never bothered looking at the NYT bestsellers list and it’s never had any effect on the books I choose to read. I started reading this genre because of a few books recommended by a friend. I noticed many authors of this genre being very generous in recommending other books from other authors. NYT is out of touch and dying. Authors of mass markets and ebooks will have the last laugh.
Hi Jeaniene,
Thanks for providing us the opportunity to comment on this. Like a lot of readers, including my fellow readers who commented, my thoughts are that the NYT is fighting a lost battle. I do e-books. I got my first e-reader (A Sony) because I was spending all my days and nights at the NICU with my little one and since he was mostly sleeping, I devoured books and would have needed to lug about two or three a day. Ebooks were the way for me, allowing me to have a lot of books and a choice when I was done with one; e-books don’t work for everyone, but they do for me. My digital library now surpasses my regular library (and THAT one is not small).
When I do buy paper books (because not all authors are digitally published), it is seldom hard covers (again, mobility, accessibility issues and also costs for me), I get Mass Market. So for the NYT to forgo these, may speak of elitism, but in this day and age, that is so obsolete… Yes, it is very nice for an author to be featured on the NYT, goes well. Like working for a prestigious firm looks nice on a resume. But, at the end of the day, if I want to look up an author, it is the opinion of readers like me that matters to me.
I’ll go on the net, on goodreads, I’ll find reader’s reviews, I’ll find a community of readers and engage in discussions about the authors, the books, characters etc…
That will determine whether I want to buy a book, support and author and promote their work… I don’t know how many friends I’ve told about your books, Jeaniene, and made fans!
I am ALWAYS looking for your latest books and those of my favorite authors and I don’t have to go to the Time to do it. Just come on your website and wait for when it comes out!
Too bad NYT doesn’t want to move with its time… That is one dinosaur that’ll get left behind…
I agree with your thoughts.
I am a travel Respiratory Therapist, I tried to move my books- just the favorites- with me back in 2002. Did not work well. I had a chevy Cavalier and two cats to fit in the car with pots pans, clothes and my own blankets, clothes and at the time a desk top PC.
I was so excited to find Mobipocket books. Palm Treo, and my computer. Then laptop.
I took a 6 year break and now have multiple mobile devices and a laptop to read on and now I listen to audiobooks by the hour. There are so many ways to satisfy your reading habit. NYT needs to keep up with us.
But actually word of mouth, or should I say a Goodreads review is how I find my new authors.