Laura McGrath
Literary scholar and professor at Temple University who studies the history of bestsellers. Provides the episode's historical and analytical context on how authors and publishers try to game bestseller lists.
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May 2, 2026 • 47min
How to make a BOOK into a bestseller
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.
