Planet Money How to make a BOOK into a bestseller
227 snips
May 2, 2026 
Laura McGrath, a Temple University professor who studies bestseller history, dives into the strange race for the New York Times list. They explore old publishing hoaxes, Jacqueline Susann’s sales tactics, lawsuits over list secrecy, bulk-buying schemes, and the wild effort to turn a new release into a chart-climbing hit.
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Why The Bestseller List Creates Its Own Winners
- The New York Times Best Seller List shapes demand, not just reflects it, because list placement becomes free advertising and signals popularity.
- Laura McGrath says preorders all hit week one, creating a rich-gets-richer snowball that can turn a small early edge into lasting sales.
How I Libertine Became Real Through Hype Alone
- Gene Shepard staged a prank to expose bestseller-list herd behavior by inventing a fake book called I, Libertine and a fake author.
- Listeners requested it worldwide, booksellers discussed it as real, and a publisher eventually turned the hoax into an actual book.
Jacqueline Susann Targeted Reporting Stores
- Jacqueline Susann helped pioneer bestseller strategy by befriending booksellers and learning which stores reported to the Times.
- Laura McGrath says she steered readers and even her own purchases to those outlets before Valley of the Dolls hit number one.
