New York Times to launch bestseller list for e-books in early 2011
The New York Times has dropped some PR on us this morning, making an official announcement that it will begin to publish a bestseller list for e-books in early 2011. The current NYT bestseller lists -- which are divided into several categories -- are considered by many to be the definitive metric for a book's success. The Times will have two separate lists covering fiction and non-fiction when it launches, drawing on information from various retailers, and will be independently verified by third party company RoyaltyShare. The list will appear in both the print and online editions of the paper. The full press release is below
Show full PR text
The New York Times to Launch eBook Best-Seller Lists
Independent Third Party, RoyaltyShare, Inc., Will Help Validate Sales Data
NEW YORK, Nov 11, 2010 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The New York Times announced today it will publish eBook fiction and nonfiction Best-Seller Lists beginning early 2011.
Since 1935, The New York Times Best-Seller Lists have been the definitive metric that book publishers and authors have used to judge success. The Times's eBook Best-Seller Lists are a natural extension of this important franchise as the proliferation of portable devices grows.
"The vibrant growth of digital publishing has created a need for an impartial, reliable source for tracking and reporting the top-selling eBooks across the country," said Janet Elder, editor of News Surveys for The New York Times. "The Times is a trusted brand within the book publishing industry and with consumers. As with all The Times's rankings, these additional lists will benefit from corroborative sourcing and we will watch for trends in the industry."
"The best-seller list is an essential part of the Book Review, and we're excited we'll be able to give readers newer and more complete information," said Sam Tanenhaus, editor of The New York Times Book Review.
The rankings will reflect sales aggregated from a growing number of online service providers who sell eBooks to consumers. To further secure the integrity of the rankings, The Times is aggressively developing a means of processing and displaying the information necessary, and of verifying the data provided.
The Times has entered into a relationship with an independent third party, RoyaltyShare, Inc., whose unique, Web-based software platform will be used by the staff of The New York Times Best Seller Lists to help validate eBooks sales data received from various sources.
As new devices continue to captivate readers, the eBook category has seen tremendous growth. The Association of American Publishers recently reported that eBook sales for the first eight months of the year were up more than 190 percent, generating nine percent of total consumer book sales.
The lists will appear in The New York Times Book Review both in print and online editions. Rankings will reflect sales for the week at many venues where a wide range of general interest eBooks are sold nationwide. These include independent book retailers; national, regional and local chains; and online and multimedia entertainment retailers.
About The New York Times Company
The New York Times Company, a leading media company with 2009 revenues of $2.4 billion, includes The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, The Boston Globe, 15 other daily newspapers and more than 50 Web sites, including NYTimes.com, Boston.com and About.com. The Company's core purpose is to enhance society by creating, collecting and distributing high-quality news, information and entertainment.
About RoyaltyShare, Inc.
RoyaltyShare, Inc. is the leading provider of global digital revenue management and reporting solutions for the music and book publishing industries. Utilizing an innovative Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) application delivery model, RoyaltyShare provides a suite of on-demand services dedicated to simplifying the increasingly complex digital sales channel. RoyaltyShare's technology is used by hundreds of companies around the world. RoyaltyShare is based in San Diego with offices in New York and London. More information on the company can be found at www.royaltyshare.com
