Another bestseller list?

In a move that is filled with controversy, the New York Times added another bestseller list to its book review section. There are many who support the move, and those who decry it as going too far:

Some declared it a long-overdue recognition of the importance of so-called trade paperbacks, the larger, more expensive editions that feature works by critically praised writers. Those books have had to compete for spots on the Times bestseller list with smaller, cheaper, glitzier mass-market paperbacks by brand-name authors like Grisham and Baldacci. But critics said the creation of yet another bestseller list threatened to dilute the meaning of the term. And they said it also threatened to dilute the Book Review itself, which announced that, at least initially, the section would lose a page of copy to make room for expanded book listings.

I tend to fall on the side of the critics. I’ve never been a big fan of bestseller lists, partially because the method used to compile these lists is sketchy at best and much of the process is kept secret. Also, the books that tend to be on the bestseller lists aren’t usually books I read.

Bestseller lists do make an impact, however. A book that makes the New York Times bestseller list gets a huge boost. It’s a form of success breeding more success. And as the article states, the new list will concentrate on more literary fiction. But with so many different bestseller lists in print just at the New York Times, not to mention around the world, have they lost much of their value?

I don’t know how much emphasis others place on bestseller lists, but like I said, I don’t. In fact, I can’t remember ever reading a book that has been currently featured on any list. That is not to say I’ve never read a bestseller, I’ve read many good bestsellers. I just prefer not to chose my reading materials based on an arbitrary list. Come to think of it, I’m not really sure what motivates me to buy the books I do. That’s something I’ll have to think about for a while and write about in a future post.

N.Y. Times creates more bestsellers

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