Dear Linda: Regarding What Makes a Best Seller

Dear Linda,

I noticed the new sign on your My Space. I was wondering how your books become best sellers, and how do they get the number one ranking? Please don't get me wrong. I think you deserve it. Does your publisher make the decision, or did you?

Dear Reader,

Designating a book to be a Number One Best Seller is done differently at every publisher. Some publishers have a Top Ten list on the main page of their website, and many authors who see their books sitting on that list will put the Best Seller status in their signature lines. Or if they see their book sitting on that Top Ten list on Fictionwise, they will give themselves the designation.

At Whiskey Creek Press, both mainstream and torrid line, there is a Top Ten list on the main page. That's not the one to watch. :) Look for their Best Seller list at the top, right underneath the header.

Every month, every book sold is tabulated, including sales from the main website, Fictionwise, ARe, and all other third party sellers including Amazon. The book that sold the most copies for that month is designated the Number One Best Seller. A congratulatory letter is sent to the author by the publisher, in this case by the Womacks, who own WCP. There are ten books counted altogether in the Top Ten List for the month.

As of today, my first five books I released with WCPT all were given the Number One Best Seller designation by the publisher. And according to the Womacks, I am the first WCPT author to have Five Consecutive Number One Best Sellers.

Thank you for your query!