Ann Coulter's books don't sell that well (really). Neither do O'Reilly's, Savage's, etc.

[blondeatlast]

Here, in a nutshell is how it works. I'd also advise you to check out this thread started by Yavin4 (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=1195958&mesg_id=1195958)which also explains how Coulter and Co. are used by the RRRepublican Noise Machine (and if you haven't read that excellent book by David Brock of Media Matters, I suggest you do so if at all interested).

Crown/Regnery/Nelson, etc. will NEVER drop their RW hacks because there will ALWAYS be a market for their work, or SO IT APPEARS.

Here's how it works. Crown/Regnery/Nelson etc. manufacture the demand for their books and it's important you realize how it is done. Let me try to explain.

Precious, precious few nonfiction books have print runs in excess of even 100,000. Most of these RW books have INITIAL print runs of 1 million or more, though--and the publisher KNOWS that they will sell--it's guaranteed.

How is that possible? It's a bit complicated, stay with me. It also explains how these titles reach Number 1 the very week they are released.

As soon as the titles are announced, the market gears up and pre orders are made in mass quantities--but traditional retailers (B&N, Border's, etc) aren't buying in those mass quantities. They buy enough stock to cover a modest demand only (they are on to the market manipulation now although it took a while).

But distributors (who drive the bestseller lists; bestseller lists are NOT derived from retail sales) will buy in massive quantities knowing full well they will sell out and possible need to backorder. So who's buying these pre-pubs in mass quantities?

The RNC, the Heritage Foundation, the College Republicans, etc--that's who. Wacko RW churches? Hell, yes; them as well--Nelson (Savage's publisher) is the largest Bible publisher in the world. They buy in quantity but THEY NEVER SELL A SINGLE BOOK.

They give them away by the handful. Donate to the RNC? Get the new Coulter book. Attend a Bill O'Reilly speaking engagement? Get his latest. Here, have another dozen for your friends who don't attend. They often give the books away by the handful (ask a public librarian how many of these are donated within a month after pub date--often in pristine condition).

There's a reason that the NYT (the bible of the bestseller lists, the only one that retailers know really matters) puts a star by these books--they know that the market for them is artificailly generated--and now the retailers have caught up.

These books "sell" indeed (at wholesale by the bucketful), but the retailers sell few of them. Amy RW sucker who pays retail for any of these POSes is actually too stupid to really worry about--and if it makes you happy to tell your wacko co-worker that, well...

ENJOY :evilgrin:.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Side note: as an ex-book retailer and ex public librarian, I respectfully ask you to please not do the mischeif such as switching covers, moving the books, etc. It's pretty childish and besides, if you read through this post, you know it really isn't necessary.

[Malikshah]

1. I wish this sort of study could be done for Fox Noise

After all-- any waiting room, etc. has Fox Noise on--

Something is up.

Does anyone know of any studies on this?

[DemGa]

2. I've heard this, but not in detail

This would make a great Dateline NBC type story. Hello Liberal media??

[burythehatchet]

3. something I figured out in my gut some time ago. glad to see the explanation

[ben_thayer]

4. A simpler explanation...

Their fans can't read!

[madrchsod]

5. Washington Times buys a shit load of these books

to give away if one subscribes to their rag

[blondeatlast]

6. Exactly; so do most of the self-admitted RW press. nt

[Purveyor]

7. I remember seeing a NewsMax promo a couple of years ago when one of the bitches books

was on the 'best seller' lists.

"Subscribe to a NewsMax newsletter and get the book for .25 cents"...the promo said.

.25 cents is about its worth but a testimonial as to how they buy and despose of the "unwanted" copies.

A real journalist, and a real news network would expose this "scam". Of course, they don't exist anymore...

[BlooInBloo]

8. By contrast: Glenn Greenwald is #5 on Amazon's nonfiction list...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/books/53/ref=pd_ts_b_nav/104-0965564-4196729?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=left-1&pf_rd_r=1XMY47ZFCYZ7VFKJQ2Q0&pf_rd_t=2101&pf_rd_p=221591101&pf_rd_i=51546011

[Radical Activist]

9. I don't think their fans are big readers anyway.

this isn't surprising.

[Mz Pip]

10. Drudge often

has a link to buy one of Coulter's for a $1.

At some point one would think these groups would not want to continually take the loss. Ann is using them to make herself rich. It's doubtful she converts anyone to their cause even the people who buy them for a dollar are just part of the choir anyway.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[RebelOne]

16. You can buy it for $1 only if you join the conservative book club. n/t

[Buns_of_Fire]

18. Not necessarily "just part of the choir" obtains them...

...they also make excellent props for that just-a-little-too-short table/chair/sofa/bed leg. A few pages torn from the handy bound dispenser with Ann's/Sean's/Billo's picture on it make a rough, but tolerable substitute for toilet paper while camping. They CAN be used as bird cage liner, but care must be taken to place it picture-side-down -- otherwise, it scares the birds. Compost starter. Poopie-Scooper wiper-outer. And, if all else fails, reading a few pages of any of them is almost as good as Ipecac.

But I DID use the term "obtain" rather than "buy" -- I pick them up, no charge, from the occasional "free books" table at the library, along with any copies of "The Wit and Wisdom of George W. Bush".

[silverojo]

11. Um...this is VERY old news

:)

[RebelOne]

17. Maybe so, but not everyone is aware of it. n/t

[K8-EEE]

12. Thanks, I was wondering about the "bestselling" claim

I never see anybody buying those, never see anybody reading the, never have known anyone who read them.....I have seen a lot of them used promotionally by wingnut causes, but never put two & two together.

[Mythsaje]

13. Quite a scam, isn't it?

Now if DUers would go out and buy MY next book, I might make the best seller list too.

[garybeck]

14. good post. KR.

[blondeatlast]

15. Morning K. nt

[jmowreader]

19. I disagree. These books sell VERY well.

The books aren't meant to be sold AS BOOKS. Remember, America doesn't read anymore. The intent of these books is to get their authors named "Best Selling Authors," which is how they get the bona fides to go on the Sunday morning talk shows, speaking tours and Big Name Think Tank Conferences.

Here's how the shit actually works.

Step 1: Best Selling Author Ann Coulter writes one of her venomous screeds. Someone formats it into a book and sends it to a press in China.

Step 2: A whole slew of Chinese people crank out a million hits of Annthrax's venom. They containerize it into six 40-foot SeaLand containers, put it on a barge and ship it to the US. By the time it gets there, the pressman MAY have finally gotten the bile out of his press.

Step 3: One container is broken down and sent to all the bookstores in America. One is sent to whoever sells books to libraries; every public library in the country buys one so all the liberals who need their blood boiled but are too smart to pay $29.95 for the experience can read it for free. The third container is sent to places like the Conservative Book Club, the Young Republicans, the You Must Be Fucking Kidding Book Club and so on, so they'll have the book to sell to people at the "six books for 99 cents" rate. The other three containers go straight to GreenFiber LLC, who makes cellulose insulation out of them.

Step 4: Technically, GreenFiber DID buy three whole containers of these shitty books in one day. Therefore...instant Best Selling Authorship!