The Common Characteristics of Bestselling Books and Authors

Moving a book from mediocre sales to the bestseller lists takes a combination of things including the right positioning of the book, accurate and complete metadata, and social media presence. For nonfiction authors, online presence and platform are critical to reaching this level of success, per Trident Media Group literary agent Mark Gottlieb. History shows that there is a direct correlation between social media following and book sales. For fiction writers, getting on bestseller lists usually comes down to the writing itself. Having a solid online presence and platform are an added bonus, Gottlieb says. He sees many fiction authors find success by identifying underserved audiences or by writing to trends in the market. If you are going to try to ride the wave of popularity for a genre or subgenre, Gottlieb recommends coming in early - you don't want to be on the tail end of a trend. Better yet, he says, is to make your own waves!

Share this story
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn
Parents
No Data
Comment
  • I have just published a book and want to have some signings and get it in the market.  It is non fiction memoir and biography.  What is the best way to do this?  

Children
No Data