The Murky Path To Becoming an NYT Bestseller

Anyone who’s worked for a major book publisher in recent memory knows the energy that crackles through the office at 4:59 P.M. on Wednesday afternoons, right before the preview of next week’s best seller list arrives from The New York Times. After months of pitching reviews, planning marketing campaigns, doing bookseller outreach, and begging for budget, this is the moment when you find out if it was enough to earn your author a spot on the best seller list. No one outside The New York Times knows exactly how its best sellers are calculated—and the list of theories is longer than the actual list of best sellers. In The New York Times’ own words, “The weekly book lists are determined by sales numbers.” But beyond these disclosures, the Times is not exactly forthcoming about how the sausage gets made.   [View in Browser]( [Esquire]( [SHOP]( EXCLUSIVE [SUBSCRIBE]( Everyone’s got a weekend warrior in their life. [Here are 65 gifts any golf fiend will love](. [The Murky Path To Becoming a 'New York Times' Best Seller]( [The Murky Path To Becoming a 'New York Times' Best Seller]( Anyone who’s worked for a major book publisher in recent memory knows the energy that crackles through the office at 4:59 P.M. on Wednesday afternoons, right before the preview of next week’s best seller list arrives from The New York Times. After months of pitching reviews, planning marketing campaigns, doing bookseller outreach, and begging for budget, this is the moment when you find out if it was enough to earn your author a spot on the best seller list. No one outside The New York Times knows exactly how its best sellers are calculated—and the list of theories is longer than the actual list of best sellers. In The New York Times’ own words, “The weekly book lists are determined by sales numbers.” But beyond these disclosures, the Times is not exactly forthcoming about how the sausage gets made. [Read More](   [70 Truly Exceptional Gifts For the Man Who (Seemingly) Has Everything]( [70 Truly Exceptional Gifts For the Man Who (Seemingly) Has Everything]( Gifts for him that he doesn't even know he wants, yet. [Read More]( [Get a Ring Video Doorbell and Echo Show 5 for Just $60 Right Now]( [Get a Ring Video Doorbell and Echo Show 5 for Just $60 Right Now]( The major deal won't last long. [Read More](     [Kyrsten Sinema Declares Independence to Salvage Her Re-election]( [Kyrsten Sinema Declares Independence to Salvage Her Re-election]( Sometimes, the people who boast most proudly of their unpredictability are actually as predictable as a Hallmark Channel holiday movie. Anybody who didn't see this move coming from a mile away needs to stay as far away from any poker table as is humanly possible. Sinema did not make a profound statement of principle here, she made her customary grab for the main chance. She can sprinkle glitter on it and call it a principled stand, but it's pure politics. [Read More](   [10 Esquire-Approved Gifts For Everyone You Know—All Under $100]( [10 Esquire-Approved Gifts For Everyone You Know—All Under $100]( It's not too late! These bestsellers will still arrive in time. [Read More]( [This Is Your Last Chance to Score the Most 'Timex' Timex Watch Ever]( [This Is Your Last Chance to Score the Most 'Timex' Timex Watch Ever]( The Giorgio Galli S1 is a cult classic—and it's about to take its final bow. [Read More](     [The Day I Watched My Brother Drown]( [The Day I Watched My Brother Drown]( It’s still very hard for me to picture certain parts of that day. But one thing I’ll always remember is the look on their faces. Panic. It was horrifying. They were so close to me, and there was nothing I could do to help them. It would have been horrible losing just one of them, but all four—I just can’t comprehend it sometimes. I always tried to be protective of Dave. As a kid, I let him bunk with me because he was scared of the dark. When he got his driver’s license and would be out after curfew, I would tell him, “Just be careful. Just drive the speed limit so you don’t get pulled over.” And at camp when he went out, I’d nag him about having a designated driver. He was always like, “I’ve got it under control, Ben.” [Read More](   [ESQ 1933 Jewelry]( Follow Us [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Notice/Notice at Collection]( esquire.com ©2022 Hearst Magazine Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Hearst Magazines, 300 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019