# International Number One Best Seller?



## Riis Marshall (Apr 13, 2015)

Hello Folks

Pundits tell me as a writer of thrillers I should read as much as I can of the work of other writers in my genre. This is what I do almost every night before I fall asleep.

Some I read are great, some are not so great and some are rather pedestrian, but nearly all the covers include either:  'Number One Best Seller', 'International Best Seller' or 'International Number One Best Seller'. I don't think all of them have ended up as Number One on anybody's list.

My question is whether somebody is going to sue me - or at least tell me to go away - if I put this on my covers?

All the best with your writing.

Warmest regards
Riis


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## dale (Apr 13, 2015)

i was gonna put "listed as satan's #1 best seller in hell amongst the fallen minions" on mine, but john grisham beat me to it.


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## shadowwalker (Apr 13, 2015)

If you aren't, saying you are is lying. Whether or not that's okay with you is, well, up to you. (Honestly, I pay no attention to such claims, since there are so many lists one could claim to be number one on...)


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## TKent (Apr 13, 2015)

It sort of reminds me of the pubs in Ireland. We must have visited twenty different pubs that claimed to be the oldest pubs in Ireland or the first to serve Guinness


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## Kyle R (Apr 13, 2015)

Riis Marshall said:
			
		

> *International Number One Best Seller?*
> . . .
> My question is whether somebody is going to sue me - or at least tell me to go away - if I put this on my covers?



Why not earn it instead of faking it?


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## dale (Apr 13, 2015)

Kyle R said:


> Why not earn it instead of faking it?



kyle, please. leave your bedroom talk in the bedroom.


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## movieman (Apr 14, 2015)

I've seen a few people claim to be a '#1 Amazon best-seller', then, in the fine print, they say the book was once #1 in some obscure book category. I forget which it was, but I once went to #8 in some Amazon category by selling one copy of my book... when I looked at the best-sellers in that category, there were only 8 books in it.


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## Riis Marshall (Apr 14, 2015)

Hello Folks

@Kyle: Ouch, mate! That hurts. After serious consideration, at the most profound metaphysical level I have concluded producing a best-seller consists of two separate actions: (1) writing a book then (2) selling a whole bunch of copies. I've done #1 now I'm thinking about what #2 is really all about. My question isn't about writing, it's about marketing.

@shadowwalker: I'm reminded of the aphorism of the guy trying to make stuff then sell it: 'I know 50% of my advertising budget is wasted. My problem is I'm not sure which 50%.' If, as I indicated in my post, I see this on the covers of many, many books, I have to assume either cover designers or publishers' marketeers or both think this is a good idea.

My question is whether you folks have any experience that suggests if I do this somebody is going to sue me (please note I didn't make reference to the _NY Times_, the _Sunday Times_, the _New Yorker_ or the _Butler Eagle_).

Keep those cards and letters coming in, folks.

All the best with your writing.

Warmest regards
Riis


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## Kyle R (Apr 14, 2015)

Riis Marshall said:


> @Kyle: Ouch, mate! That hurts. After serious consideration, at the most profound metaphysical level I have concluded producing a best-seller consists of two separate actions: (1) writing a book then (2) selling a whole bunch of copies. I've done #1 now I'm thinking about what #2 is really all about. My question isn't about writing, it's about marketing.


Oh, I didn't mean to sound harsh with that comment, Riis! My apologies if it came off that way. It's the same question I would ask myself.

I did find one article online that seems to touch on the subject: Fake "Best-Sellers": Can We Sue The Authors?

On the marketing end, I can understand why you're pondering this. If you were to be listed as a *New York Times Bestselling Author*, for example, you could expect a 57% boost in sales! (_". . . first time appearing authors might see an overall increase of sales by 57%." — http://dearauthor.com/features/letters-of-opinion/what-does-bestseller-title-really-mean/_)

Mostly, I have some moral quandaries with the idea of faking a "bestselling" credential—namely, the people who legitimately own such credentials had to earn it the hard way.

You also have the readers, who, if (and/or when) the fictional aspect of a "bestselling" claim is revealed, might open up a whole can of worms for you in terms of negative publicity. 

I believe a large aspect of being a successful author (and ensuring future sales) comes down to nurturing the relationship between yourself (the author) and your readers/fans. So, instead of the two steps you listed:

1. Writing
2. Marketing

I believe there's actually a third step:

1. Writing
2. Marketing
3. The author-reader relationship

This is why I believe making false claims can be a bad business decision (as well as a questionable moral decision)—because doing so might sabotage step #3.

I can only imagine what could happen to an author's sales (and reputation) if readers began associating the author with negative feelings, such as distrust, or worse, disdain! 

So, to me, it comes down to a matter of goals.

If you're looking for short-term gains, and you're not concerned about any possible consequences, faking a "bestselling" credential might actually pay off.

But if you're looking for longterm gains, I believe faking a "bestselling" credential could jeopardize the author-reader relationship, and end up being more harmful than beneficial in the end. It might even be something one ends up regretting. :grief:

Just my two cents!


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## Riis Marshall (Apr 14, 2015)

Hello Folks

Y'all are slowly convincing me this is probably not a very good idea.

I'm glad we've had this little chat.

All the best with your writing.

Warmest regards
Riis


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## dale (Apr 14, 2015)

there's still nothing wrong with telling a drunk chick in a bar that you're a best-selling author, though.


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## TKent (Apr 14, 2015)

Riis,

I have seen it recommended that you do your best to find the 'smallest' sub-classification you can on Amazon that fits your book, so that you do end up high in the rankings in that category. If you do a good job with that, not only do you show up at the top of the lists for readers who are searching that category, but you could honestly say that you are #1 in "Fantasy -> Twins -> Siamese Twins" Now obviously, you have to find a real sub-classification that works for you.  Smart marketing isn't always a bad thing. As a consumer, I am influenced by good marketing. I still do my due-diligence but it is not on some obscure product that never caught my attention in the first place. 

So there's your devil's advocate


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## krishan (Apr 16, 2015)

It is possible to achieve the number one spot in any relatively small category on Amazon just by getting friends and family to all buy copies of your book at the same time.Your time as the top seller would be brief and, to a certain extent, rather hollow, but at least it would not be an outright lie. I would not recommend lying, even though it's very likely you would be able to get away with it.


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