We’re back friends! I took some time off for a little over a month to enjoy the summer and to work on a new book that’s scheduled to come out around the holidays. Exciting, right?! Preorders will be available in October.
Thank you for your patience while I was away for the past month. Hopefully you were using the time to travel, write, relax, enjoy summer, or, like me, enjoy the eclipse! For our first post after the summer vacation, let’s take a look at a fun recent story where a couple authors on Twitter took down a YA novel that had scammed its way onto the NYT best-seller list. Maybe you heard about this, but the book Handbook for Mortals skyrocketed to the top of NYT’s YA list, but two resourceful Indie Authors weren’t buying it.
Let’s look at the story in a fun way—as told by the authors themselves in a discussion on twitter. Here we go!
I find it… strange that a mediocre website can decide it wants to be a publisher, and one month later hit #1 on the NYT Bestsellers list. pic.twitter.com/RS1UoWl6H4
— Phil Stamper (@stampepk) August 24, 2017
This is what I'm referencing. A book that's out of stock on Amazon and is not currently in any physical B&N in the tri-state area. pic.twitter.com/HV9l0neRgG
— Phil Stamper (@stampepk) August 24, 2017
A book that no one has heard of except for the two niche blogs that covered the GN press release. Sells ~5,000 in the first week? Ok.
— Phil Stamper (@stampepk) August 24, 2017
I'm baffled by this too and have discussed longform offline already. Bookscan is 18k for last week alone. SOMEHOW.
— Jeremy West (@JeremyWest) August 24, 2017
You shouldn't be able to buy your way onto the @nytimes list. But here we are.
— Phil Stamper (@stampepk) August 24, 2017
(And this is coming from someone who gets allll the warm fuzzies when smaller presses hit the NYT list.)
— Phil Stamper (@stampepk) August 24, 2017
*whispers* follow the trail…find the warehouse full of books… https://t.co/QTxqwmZeb7
— Jeremy West (@JeremyWest) August 24, 2017
Ah, okay. They couldn't care less about the book. They just want to pitch their film franchise as "based off the #1 NYT Bestselling series" pic.twitter.com/XG1W2hBLig
— Phil Stamper (@stampepk) August 24, 2017
Well this clears things up… (they asked for their name to be redacted) pic.twitter.com/WkzUynUwsB
— Phil Stamper (@stampepk) August 24, 2017
YES YES THANK YOU PHIL!
— Jeremy West (@JeremyWest) August 24, 2017
I have received a second source claiming this happened last week. pic.twitter.com/ot0vFBMjb2
— Jeremy West (@JeremyWest) August 24, 2017
And now we've had a third bookseller report (w/photo evidence!) A guy called to place an order for <30 copies at all 3 B&Ns in their city.
— Phil Stamper (@stampepk) August 24, 2017
I just spoke to a bookseller at indie in San Jose who said that the book is only available in-warehouse due to author buying up all copies. pic.twitter.com/qYMCmE7AF1
— Jeremy West (@JeremyWest) August 24, 2017
According to B&N source, ALL those orders can be canceled bc they haven't been delivered.
They can't be delivered because there's no stock.
— Phil Stamper (@stampepk) August 24, 2017
Keep up with this thread. Two more booksellers reported info. We've got reports literally all over the country now! https://t.co/8Q8T1vwVFv
— Phil Stamper (@stampepk) August 24, 2017
Okay, NYT is on it and is reaching out to the booksellers for more info. My work's done here.
*dies in an avalanche of notifications*
— Phil Stamper (@stampepk) August 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/stampepk/status/900831410432479237
https://twitter.com/cupcakeandy/status/900830826371452929
Thanks to @stampepk and @JeremyWest, the NYT changed their list! pic.twitter.com/95qPBMGhzd
— Michael ***6ft*** Bourret (@MichaelBourret) August 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/JeremyWest/status/900777266992566272
We actually did it!! We investigated and found out a scam and fraud, had receipts, and presented them. Then NYT fixed the list. @stampepk https://t.co/thTNL4THa6
— Jeremy West (@JeremyWest) August 24, 2017
Congratulations to the REAL #1 NYT bestseller @angiecthomas who TRULY deserves it for the 25th week in a row.
— Jeremy West (@JeremyWest) August 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/angiecthomas/status/900833791958294533
And thank you to the @nytimesbooks for the correction
— Angie Thomas (@angiecthomas) August 24, 2017
https://twitter.com/stampepk/status/900835259750678528
Pretty incredible huh?! Super cool story. Thanks to Twitter book news for helping make the piecing of the story together via Twitter very easy.
Find more writing and publishing tips at Nothing Any Good.
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