Can daily talk show hosts really be considered true 'Best Selling' authors?

[brian65]

I think not, given the endless promotion they have available.

It would seem to detract from actual non-fiction writers who have actually personally completed the research and written the entire books by themselves.

 

[listener-in]

It's all part of the culture. There are many "authors" besides talk show hosts who are more-or-less guaranteed to get on the best-seller list on their credentials as "celebrities'" (which automatically imply media exposure) rather than because of the value of what they have to say - and they usually don't write the stuff themselves. Also, in the NY Times at least, best-sellers are marked with a dagger if booksellers report bulk sales, usually indicating that groups affiliated formally or ideologically with the author buy up copies to give away for the sole purpose of inflating a book's supposed "popularity".

 

[jerry367]

It's all part of the culture. There are many "authors" besides talk show hosts who are more-or-less guaranteed to get on the best-seller list on their credentials as "celebrities'" (which automatically imply media exposure) rather than because of the value of what they have to say - and they usually don't write the stuff themselves. Also, in the NY Times at least, best-sellers are marked with a dagger if booksellers report bulk sales, usually indicating that groups affiliated formally or ideologically with the author buy up copies to give away for the sole purpose of inflating a book's supposed "popularity".

*cough* Sarah Palin *cough*

 

[brian65]

*cough* Sarah Palin *cough*

I was going to mention Palin's book but she wasn't a Talk Show host.

The interesting thing about Palin's book is that it was a top seller even before it came out....but I really haven't heard squat about anything that was in it. Even from conservative radio.

 

[ctkatz]

*cough* Sarah Palin *cough*

I was going to mention Palin's book but she wasn't a Talk Show host.

The interesting thing about Palin's book is that it was a top seller even before it came out....but I really haven't heard squat about anything that was in it. Even from conservative radio.

she's not a talk show host, true, but she's a real good example of what the opening post is about.

it's all in the parsing of the word "best selling". a person's book may have sold over a million copies. it does not mention however where those books were sold or who bought them. perfect example of this point: sarah palin. in all honest truth, the vast majority of her book sales were not by individual people, but by conservative blogs and magazines and radio programs who are using the the books as loss leaders to get people to join their sites or subscribe to their magazines and newspapers.

i saw a posting that said that people are calling bookstores to make them carry the book. not so they can go buy it (because they don't have any intention of doing so) but just so that its in the bookstore. the reason the book isn't carried on the shelves is because NO ONE IS BUYING IT. it isn't that they won't sell it. they would gladly order it for you. its just that there is no demand for it.

i think that this is the case for so many so called best selling author radio talk hosts. their stuff is sold in bulk so that it can be given away later by other parties. it doesn't matter if not that many people buy it in a bookstore. they can still claim "best selling" even though it may be a bookstore flop.

 

[ericdxx]

I think not, given the endless promotion they have available.

It would seem to detract from actual non-fiction writers who have actually personally completed the research and written the entire books by themselves.

Ironically most of these authors would give their left arm for the chance to promote their books on radio shows like Imus in the morning and Coast to Coast and tv-shows like Jon Stewart.