Bulk buying your way to the best seller's list.

Courtesy of the Daily Beast:

In January 2012, former megachurch pastor Mark Driscoll’s book Real Marriage went to the top spot on the Hardcover Advice section of The New York Times best-seller list. In March 2014, it was disclosed by evangelical magazine, World, that Driscoll’s publishing success was aided by a consulting firm called ResultSource, which purchased books on behalf of Driscoll in a coordinated effort to spike sales and give the impression that the book was popular with thousands of book buyers. Driscoll recently resigned from his church and one factor associated with his departure is the decision to buy his way onto the best-seller list. 

Driscoll later admitted that the scheme was wrong and even asked that the designation “New York Times best-selling author” be removed from his bio and book covers. However, Driscoll is not alone among evangelicals wanting to improve their brand and increase sales. 

This Daily Beast article is mainly concerned with how Christian authors get their books onto the best seller list, however I am sure that most of you were quick to realize that this is probably how a LOT of undeserving authors get there as well. 

In fact the author links to a 2013 Wall Street article which makes that very point: 

It isn't uncommon for a business book to land on best-seller lists only to quickly drop off. But even a brief appearance adds permanent luster to an author's reputation, greasing the skids for speaking and consulting engagements. 

But the short moment of glory doesn't always occur by luck alone. In the cases mentioned above, the authors hired a marketing firm that purchased books ahead of publication date, creating a spike in sales that landed titles on the lists. The marketing firm, San Diego-based ResultSource, charges thousands of dollars for its services in addition to the cost of the books, according to authors interviewed. 

As ResultSource's website points out, hitting best-seller lists can mean fame, and potentially lucrative consulting assignments. 

"Publishing a book builds credibility, but having a Bestseller initiates incredible growth—exponentially increasing the demand for your thought leadership, skyrocketing your speaking itinerary and value," ResultSource says. 

ResultSource's principal, Kevin Small, declined requests for an interview. On its website, the company outlines its ambitions: "'We create campaigns that reach a specific goal, like: "On the bestsellers list," or "100,000 copies sold.'"

Even though those who compile data for bestseller lists are vigilant about bulk book sales, and do not count them in their calculations, companies like ResultSource have found ways around their scrutiny.

This of course is the way that conservative authors like Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, and Bill O'Reilly obviously contiue receiving credit for writing bestsellers, even though their approach to their topic (Obama is bad!) is ham fisted and their built in audience is for the most part functionally illiterate.

And it also explains the success of this future bargain bin mainstay.

I had to read this literary shit stain for the blog, and I do believe that I have written far more eloquently constructed sentences while drunkenly banging my face onto the keyboard whilst attempting to retrieve a dropped cashew nut with my lips.

Hey do you remember back when an author actually had to write a good book to make it on the bestseller's list? When a politician actually had to garner votes from the majority of the people in order to get elected? And when a person's fifteen minutes of fame actually had to last only that fifteen minutes?

Boy those were the day weren't they?