Uber Secrets of Uber Authors

What is a "hard" street date? Well, if you're a romance reader, you're probably thinking about something else entirely, heh.

As a writer, one of the most common questions I get asked is: "How many copies did you sell?" My favorite answer: "306,218 since I last checked."

So, you want to know the truth? Can you handle it???!

After one week from the "hard" street date in the market, my book, SWTA, debuted at #47 out of #100 on Bookscan, a sort of Super Secret Bestseller List that uber-spies in the industry subscribe to. It's always good to have your book on Bookscan, the longer the better. Nora Roberts' books are ALWAYS on the list. She's the goddess. No one sells more books than NR, I don't care if Dan Brown disputes that, because I got the numbers in front of me every week! ;-)

What does it mean to be on #47, you ask? I have no idea. Uber-authors, like uber-spies, just like details and numbers about themselves and people in the same profession. I do know that if a book stays on Bookscan long enough, it will be on the USA Today Bestsellers list and NYT Bestsellers List (one or both). some authors know the secret behind the math...for example, it says I sold several thousand copies since Dec. 28 (street date).

Okay, with complicated Einsteinian math, that amounts to SOMETHING times SOMETHING to the power of $$$. However, I don't know the math and none of the authors who know this formula are willing to share their knowledge with me (shrug, some authors, like spies, are very stingy about sharing information, even with a friend), so I can only celebrate it with "Hurrah, I'm on Bookscan. Editor and Publisher will be pleased" huzzahs.

Some authors also know the secret math that would reveal the print number of the book by adding Bookscan and Ingrams (wholesale company) numbers and mumbling a magical abstract incantation. So a few thousand reported by a few thousand bookstores and the few thousand on Ingrams plus magic incantation = ???###??? Don't ask me. Same author friends wouldn't share that secret knowledge with me either. They say they know because it such and such percent of the Real Number. I say, "Wow, man. Must be nice to know that stuff." I wish I do, then I would for sure know exactly how many copies of books are selling every week instead of me looking at my royalty sheets and going, "Huh?" at every column ;-). Now, THAT one is another magical math incantation in itself.

Why are these numbers important, you ask? Well, if an uber-author has a good track record of getting onto Bookscan, then it means better $$$ during contract negotiations. Of course, if you get on the USA Today Bestsellers or NYT lists, your value goes up exponentially. Let me give you a hint. I can say, "Ummm...yawn...I feel like writing T. and Alex's story for my next book." ***stretching like a lazy cat*** Need I say more? Heh.

This is why the mega uber-authors have a "hard" street date, meaning the bookstores don't dare lay out the new books till the real date, or face the wrath of publishers. The count doesn't start till the official street date, you see. Not unless you're Walmart, of course ;-). Walmart does whatever it likes, or so it seems. I've seen JD Robb's books three or four days prominently in front of the Walmart book section before the "hard" street date. Of course, with JD Robb's numbers, she would hardly notice a few thousand not being counted.

Now you know most of what I know about street date, numbers, charts, and trying to get a good contract. You also now know I have no idea how many copies I sold, nor do most authors (unless you belong to that cadre who knows the magic formula but doesn't share) LOL. And no, I don't know if there is such a thing as "soft" street date. I'm sure one or two of you know more about this than me. Want to share the secret incantation too? Email me! Heh. I'm ALWAYS willing to learn more.

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