I would love to be a fly on the wall when the book critics sit around and discuss the selections for the top 10 and notable 100. I bet you are right about "prominence". I suspect they mostly want to pick books that have literary merit AND that your average reader will have heard of and can easily find in a bookstore/library. They want to generate buzz and discussion and drive website views. They won't do that with a list of books very few people will have heard of. The NYT has their commercial interests at heart.
Very interesting analysis. The publicity departments at Penguin/Random House can outdo any small publisher and make their books seem to be the truly significant ones. There's also a phoney idea of encompassing 'diversity' (narrowly defined) in the choices. So in the end, the books chosen will never be the best of the year, even if some of them are good.
It is the case that the big 3 music labels control 70% of the global music market, and I feel like imprints and sub-labels translate pretty well. I do somehow feel like there's a lower bar for indie labels to get attention from "musicheads" and music writing outlets than the equivalents for writing, but that is an impression based on pure vibes.
Excellent observation! I watch quite a few BookTube videos, and no one else I’ve come across has discussed this interesting component to these lists. Kudos! 👍🏻👍🏻
This is so interesting, I’ve never thought of breaking down these types of lists by publisher! I definitely need to think about this more, great video :))
I don't think it's right, but I think we do accept it. I think of Motown Music (a well accepted brand at its time), Sysco Food that provides food to most of our restaurants, and cereal makers Post and Kellogg. While we have anti trust laws there are still plenty of monopolies in our country (aka Amazon).
Excellent points! Sysco is a great point and is exactly why I was excited for other folks to weigh in; I knew there would be examples from other industries that would feel similar that I wasn't considering. Motown is excellent example, too. Music and books share that consumer product vs. art object conundrum. Thanks so much for weighing in and stopping by!!
I don’t read pop lit. That’s what I call it anyway. For all the reasons I’m sure you can figure out. If a book doesn’t stand the test of time (5yrs) and remains as a stellar read, I’m not really interested. I don’t like trends at all. It gives me sheep creeps. Unless it’s a biography or nonfiction-I’m not reading it. But damn I love my Penguin Black Classics! 😂
Books are subjective and we can't rank one we haven't read - surely that accounts for the bias and not the history of collaboration between two massive companies, right?
Hey there. The biggest makeup company is tarte. Next is Mac and after that Lancome. Sorry - I work in cosmetics and had to mention. Loreal is considered "drug store" priced, so it's not nearly as successful as the prestige makeup.
Loreal group own 39 brands, not just the products with the Loreal brand on them. For instance, they also own Lancome and Maybelline. Tarte is owned by the Kose group who I think only have 5 or 6 brands. So it's like when Penguin Random House own Penguin Group but also own other publishing houses like Knopf and Crown. Only then those publishing groups also use different imprints. Side note, Tarte hands down make my fav eye shadows
I think you should chill a bit on the conspiracy theory there Karen. You didn’t discover the wheel. Publishing imprints, automobiles, movies, social media platforms, clothing brands or even make up products - some of them do have the same owner. This is a marketing tactic thats been going since…well forever. Its similar when authors publish a book under a different pen name. They are trying to distance their old work from the name of the author that people are familiar with, in order to attract a new audience. Sadly, thats how things are done. Corporate giants trying to shove their products down your throat. I personally, like to focus on the author as an individual, not decide my reading taste based solely on the publisher.
I would love to be a fly on the wall when the book critics sit around and discuss the selections for the top 10 and notable 100. I bet you are right about "prominence". I suspect they mostly want to pick books that have literary merit AND that your average reader will have heard of and can easily find in a bookstore/library. They want to generate buzz and discussion and drive website views. They won't do that with a list of books very few people will have heard of. The NYT has their commercial interests at heart.
Very interesting analysis. The publicity departments at Penguin/Random House can outdo any small publisher and make their books seem to be the truly significant ones. There's also a phoney idea of encompassing 'diversity' (narrowly defined) in the choices. So in the end, the books chosen will never be the best of the year, even if some of them are good.
Such great points - thanks so much for sharing your thoughts!
It is the case that the big 3 music labels control 70% of the global music market, and I feel like imprints and sub-labels translate pretty well. I do somehow feel like there's a lower bar for indie labels to get attention from "musicheads" and music writing outlets than the equivalents for writing, but that is an impression based on pure vibes.
Oh new subscriber here! Some of these sound so good. I’m more interested in the non fiction. 😊
Excellent observation! I watch quite a few BookTube videos, and no one else I’ve come across has discussed this interesting component to these lists. Kudos! 👍🏻👍🏻
Thanks for crunching the actual percentages. I try to support independent and small publishers but I could do more xx
This is so interesting, I’ve never thought of breaking down these types of lists by publisher! I definitely need to think about this more, great video :))
Hi iam a begginer could you please suggest me few novella's that could help me build reading habbit 📚 (thriller mystery feel good books) thank u
I don't think it's right, but I think we do accept it. I think of Motown Music (a well accepted brand at its time), Sysco Food that provides food to most of our restaurants, and cereal makers Post and Kellogg. While we have anti trust laws there are still plenty of monopolies in our country (aka Amazon).
I didn’t know that about Sysco but I wondered why I see their trucks _everywhere._
Excellent points! Sysco is a great point and is exactly why I was excited for other folks to weigh in; I knew there would be examples from other industries that would feel similar that I wasn't considering. Motown is excellent example, too. Music and books share that consumer product vs. art object conundrum. Thanks so much for weighing in and stopping by!!
yeah, big publishers big sales.
Thank you. I enjoyed Tenderloin.
Wonderful to hear!! Hope you are well and thanks for stopping by!
I don’t read pop lit. That’s what I call it anyway. For all the reasons I’m sure you can figure out.
If a book doesn’t stand the test of time (5yrs) and remains as a stellar read, I’m not really interested. I don’t like trends at all. It gives me sheep creeps. Unless it’s a biography or nonfiction-I’m not reading it.
But damn I love my Penguin Black Classics! 😂
I liked the Publisher's Weekly list much better.
Your content is very interesting
Critics rarely get it right IMO!
Books are subjective and we can't rank one we haven't read - surely that accounts for the bias and not the history of collaboration between two massive companies, right?
Thanks for calling this out, especially since there are so many worthy books out there. And yes, this does matter. Diversity matters in this, too.
It absolutely does! Thanks so much - I agree!! And thanks for stopping by! :)
Diversity really does not matter in art evaluation. It's a moralistic concept
Hmmm a Multi mass media newspaper would promote a mass media published books, that’s shock. I really don’t read too many “popular books”
Hey there. The biggest makeup company is tarte. Next is Mac and after that Lancome. Sorry - I work in cosmetics and had to mention. Loreal is considered "drug store" priced, so it's not nearly as successful as the prestige makeup.
Never heard of Tarte 🤯 Might have to google this one.
Loreal group own 39 brands, not just the products with the Loreal brand on them. For instance, they also own Lancome and Maybelline. Tarte is owned by the Kose group who I think only have 5 or 6 brands. So it's like when Penguin Random House own Penguin Group but also own other publishing houses like Knopf and Crown. Only then those publishing groups also use different imprints.
Side note, Tarte hands down make my fav eye shadows
So the publishing houses that put out the greatest number of titles also have the largest percentage representation on the lists.
Okay.
IMO, it is about $ and connections.
i need your top 10 books of 2024 plsss
all from penguin randomhouse.. kinda bleak
I think you should chill a bit on the conspiracy theory there Karen. You didn’t discover the wheel. Publishing imprints, automobiles, movies, social media platforms, clothing brands or even make up products - some of them do have the same owner. This is a marketing tactic thats been going since…well forever. Its similar when authors publish a book under a different pen name. They are trying to distance their old work from the name of the author that people are familiar with, in order to attract a new audience. Sadly, thats how things are done. Corporate giants trying to shove their products down your throat. I personally, like to focus on the author as an individual, not decide my reading taste based solely on the publisher.