One of the greatest pleasures of being (sort of) an adult, is that I finally realized that I don't have to finish a book I don't like.  Life is too short to spend with jerks and that includes those between thw covers of a book.  I'd like to share a favorite quote from Flannery O'Conner "Everywhere I go, I'm asked if I think the university stifles writers.  My opinion is that they don't stifle enough of them.  There's many a best seller that could have been prevented by a good teacher. "

Helge Moulding <[log in to unmask]> wrote:   Deb Warner wrote,
> In regards to the desirability of titles, naming something a "Best Seller" may
> cause people to buy a book, but that doesn't necessarily mean they will
> actually read it.

Or it's supposedly a classic. Yup, there are all kinds of bad reasons for
buying a book. :-) And all kinds of books don't get read.

> can anyone call their title a "Best Seller" or does it have to appear on
> an actual list?

You cannot claim that your book is a "New York Times Bestselling Book"
unless it actually was on the NYT list, since that's a trademarked term.
But any publisher can call any author "bestselling" on the cover (as in
"Bestselling author Helge Moulding describes his experience living in
Salt Lake City") without fear of anyone calling them to account on it.

In the one case you're making a claim of fact that should be verifiable,
and where interested parties may accuse you of materially harming
them if your claim is wrong. In the other case it's considered
marketing puffery, and you shouldn't pay any attention to it.

Not that you should pay any attention to books just because they've
been on on the NYT Bestseller list. Some of the worst books I've ever
read have been on that list. Sturgeon's Law applies.
-- 
Helge Moulding
mailto:[log in to unmask] Just another guy
http://hmoulding.cjb.net/ with a weird name



"My name is Francis Tolliver, in Liverpool I dwell
Each Christmas come since World War I, I've learned its lessons well
That the ones who call the shots won't be among the dead and lame
And on each end of the rifle we're the same "
 final verse of "Christmas In The Trenches " by John McCutcheon
       
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