|
|
Post by writeway on Oct 8, 2018 21:21:09 GMT
Just wondering if this is still a thing? I'm not seeing people into these box sets like they once were. Authors are still doing them (I was featured in one recently but not to make a list) but it doesn't seem like the goal is to make the big lists anymore. Seems like the practice died when the RH stuff hit the fan.
Are doing sets to make a list still popular? Besides, does that even still work these days? Things change so fast in publishing I can't see sets making it on lists as easily as they once did.
One thing I noticed is readers seem tired of all these 99 cent sets so maybe that has something to do with it. The supply has seemed to surpass the demand.
But, what do I know? Thoughts?
|
|
|
|
Post by Jeff Tanyard on Oct 8, 2018 22:10:48 GMT
I think one or more of the lists changed their requirements so as to make multi-author box sets ineligible. Not sure.
In any event, these things were rife with shenanigans, so I won't miss them. |
|
|
|
Post by eleutheria on Oct 9, 2018 0:02:46 GMT
I will get box sets through KU. It's a way to discover new authors for me, and I still see them, but I definitely see a lot less.
And yeah, I vaguely remember that the one that isn't NYT finally decided to ban them.
|
|
|
|
Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Oct 9, 2018 0:06:45 GMT
They seem to have shifted their focus slightly from collections to books with lots of co-authors and trying really hard to get pre-orders. Get 5,000 pre-orders or more and you have a good shot of hitting some lists. According to our friend Alinka Rutkowska, who is sort of like the nonfiction/IM version of Rebecca Hamilton. selfpublishingmastery.com/what-to-do-with-5000-pre-orders/
|
|
|
|
Post by writeway on Oct 9, 2018 2:10:52 GMT
Thanks, everyone! I just wondered because I don't see authors signing up for these sets like they once were. At one while there were "organizers" advertising everywhere for people to join sets. The ones I do see now are ones that don't seem to be geared toward making a list.
Did the USA Today list ban these sets too? I heard the NYT did.
Another thing I think happened was the "letters" became useless to authors. So many authors got on lists due to these sets that it seemed like the USA Today and NYT had no meaning anymore. It's like every time you looked around an author you hadn't heard of was claiming to be a "bestselling USA Today/NYT author". Seems like authors realized it might not be worth it when everyone and their momma seemed to be making a list.
I still think it's a great accomplishment when an indie makes it on their own but people like RH left a stink on the list-making set process that it's no longer impressive to just say you made it from a multiauthor set.
|
|
|
|
Post by possiblyderanged on Oct 15, 2018 14:23:30 GMT
People like RH left a stink on a lot of things. I have to say, when I see Blah Blah Bestselling Author, I snort and move on. Sure you are. And I'm a leprechaun.  |
|
|
|
Post by writeway on Oct 15, 2018 21:41:59 GMT
People like RH left a stink on a lot of things. I have to say, when I see Blah Blah Bestselling Author, I snort and move on. Sure you are. And I'm a leprechaun. Same here. I roll my eyes, which is disappointing since so many authors do work hard to make the list but RH and folks like her have made USA Today Bestselling author quite meaningless. I suspect it's different in the trade published circles and it still holds weight there because trade authors have to actually sell a lot of their own books (at full price) to make it. When I see the title on some indies' books, especially those I haven't heard of or whose rankings of current books are dead in the toilet yet they are flying this title around...I'm not impressed because I know most likely they got on the list by a set and probably RH's. Unfortunately there are many set organizers that used RH's tactics so I wonder just how many of those sets actually made it fair and square. Some authors claim they did nothing dishonest and maybe they didn't but they can't be sure the organizer or others in the set didn't. I remember when this all broke out on Kboards and RH's cheerleaders claimed their sets were on the up-and-up and that the scamming must have happened on other sets. Right.  Why would RH cheat and scam on some sets and not others? Didn't buy it then and don't now. The thing is a lot of authors were embarrassed after this all came out because their reps were on the line. I just wonder if getting those letters were worth it now when no one cares. |
|
|
|
Post by K'Sennia Visitor on Oct 15, 2018 22:13:27 GMT
Peeps who let other peeps publish them get up to shenanigans, too.
studybreaks.com/culture/can-buy-way-onto-new-york-times-bestseller-list-handbook-for-mortals/
forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2014/04/18/firm-that-helps-authors-buy-their-way-onto-bestseller-lists-goes-into-stealth-mode/#3b9dcc7445f5
And according to this article (entrepreneur.com/article/280520) you shouldn't be chasing bestseller lists anyway because
So I think it's good if readers are getting less impressed about those letters. Maybe more authors can start focusing on writing books that are actually good and less about fame and prestige. Not that wanting those things is bad necessarily. I've just never understood it.
|
|
|
|
Post by possiblyderanged on Oct 28, 2018 22:21:54 GMT
The thing about the bestsellers list is that it's always been more likely that the spot was bought by the publishing house. And they only used to count certain stores, so there were ways to bulk buy and other things. Now it's also indies doing it, and it has to be done dirty because we don't have any other way, really. I mean, yes, some authors get there on their own, by selling books without scams, but probably 90% of it's buying books by the authors. The gifting and such, which made Amazon change the rules about gifting, and the book buying circles, requirements to buy X amount of the box set, and so on.
|
|
Why would RH cheat and scam on some sets and not others? Didn't buy it then and don't now. The thing is a lot of authors were embarrassed after this all came out because their reps were on the line. I just wonder if getting those letters were worth it now when no one cares.
