Do best sellers become that way because of marketing and mass psychology, rather than genuinely good writing?

Question

Didn't Stephen King publish a book under a different name, and nobody bought it? Why is the author's name bigger than the title? Did a lot of people jump on Davinci Code because everyone else was doing it ?

Answer 1

There are examples of that from time to time. Not often, but it does happen. King most freely admits to writing some real stinkers on occasion, that people bought _just_ because it was SK.

Writers who do more than one or two books tend to be fluid, finding new or better ways to tell their story. Diana Gabaldon is one author whose books have both gotten better and longer over the years. But her 'story' is BIG. Her works can be likened to an extended familly reunion.

Other authors, principlely, genre authors, mystery, suspense and even romance, will use the same tablet and weave different people into the format. The stories differ little and for some reason, name recognition I guess, are frequently the top pop sellers. Danielle Steele and Nora Roberts, (also writing as RD Robb) come to mind. But there are many others.

Answer 2

To an extent yes. However that being said there must have been a reason why so many people liked it in the first place. It's just like a movie. Sometimes they put something out that they think will be big and it flops. Other times they think it'll be nothing and it gets big. Publishers know what people will want to read for the most part. They look at popular trends and act accordingly. As for the authors name being bigger, if it's a popular author then that meand that they have fans that want to read anything by them. That doesn't mean that those fans think everything that author wrote was brilliant. For example I'm a huge Anne Rice fan, but I really didn't like Blood Canticle or Merrick.

Answer 3

I don't know about the Stephen King thing but if you really like an author and they right another book you are most likely going to buy it.
I think that alot of people started on the Davinci Code because it had so stuff in the news and everything.

Answer 4

I would tend to agree with your assessment. There are many factors contributing to the success of a book, pushing it to the level of bestseller, i.e. NY Times Bestseller list, etc. I believe some bestsellers are propelled up the list due to marketing and promotion, whether they fall into a popular niche in the current market, word of mouth, the "Brand" name (i.e. author name recognition), whether the publisher is one of the big publishing companies and other factors. Quality writing? That seems to me be further down on the list of qualifications for making it to the bestseller's lists. I feel The DaVinci Code is a mediocre piece of writing lacking plot, overloaded with historical detail and lacking fleshed out characterizations.

A bestseller list means just that, the books are selling. It often doesn't mean books have qualified as "best" by merit. Only sales.

Answer 5

Book clubs also have a lot to do with manufacturing a best seller. I read the Da VInci Code as a part of a club...otherwise I might not have bought it. Really, it turns out that I liked the book, so that was ok.

Still, I think you're not far off of the mark: marketing makes bestsellers in many cases. There are books that have actually made that list before the marketing machine took over. Scholastic didn't do much to sell the Harry Potter series at first...and it caught on with the kids quick. Now, of course, they sell the H-E-L-L out of it, and she is a billionaire thanks to them.

Answer 6

Good marketing gets people to the book. Sometimes even if its a bad book, the marketing can be so good that people still buy the book. But if its a good book to start combined with good marketing then it really takes off. I've read books that were bestsellers that i thought were horrible, but they had good marketing and i've also read books that got terrible reviews and never sold many books, but the storyline was excellent.

So in summation, if you are the best writer in the world, nobody is going to buy your book if you dont have good marketing. If you are an average writer with good marketing, you can have a bestseller.

Answer 7

i guess its a combination of all and some good luck!