The Basics: What Bestseller Lists Don't Tell You: NYT, USA Today
You can game an algorithm, buy your way onto a list, or hit #1 in a random Amazon subcategory for three hours — but none of that guarantees your book will actually matter.
If you’re an entrepreneur or expert dreaming of “bestselling author” status, you need to know what those words really mean in traditional publishing — and which kinds of bestseller success actually help your business long‑term.
So the central question is:
What does it really mean to be a bestselling nonfiction author — and which bestseller lists actually matter?
The Three Bestseller Lists That Actually Matter
When Meghan talks about “bestsellers,” she’s not talking about obscure Amazon categories or vanity titles. For traditional publishing, she focuses on three main lists:
Amazon – especially “Most Sold” and “Most Read”
New York Times – the famous, curated list
USA Today – broad, sales‑data‑driven list
Each works differently and signals something different about your book’s performance.
1. Amazon: Beware the “Fake” Bestseller
Amazon is the largest bookseller in the U.S., but its bestseller system is confusing and easy to game.
What often happens:
Authors (or marketers) brag about being “#1 Amazon Bestsellers” after hitting the top of a tiny, obscure subcategory for a short time.
You can sometimes do that with only a few hundred copies sold, which sounds nice but doesn’t represent meaningful, sustained success.
That’s why Meghan pays more attention to:
Most Sold – what’s actually selling across Amazon, not just within super‑narrow categories.
Most Read – what people are actively reading on Kindle or listening to via Audible.
Those lists tend to track more closely with what’s truly popular and often overlap with titles on other major bestseller lists.
2. The New York Times: Curated, Not Just Numbers
The New York Times bestseller list is:
The one most people think of when they hear “bestseller.”
Curated, not purely sales‑based.
Built using criteria that are not publicly shared — and often feel inconsistent.
Meghan compares their methodology to her grandmother’s bread recipe: famously good, deliberately impossible to copy. The Times chooses which books appear on the list based on a mix of sales and editorial discretion, and the exact formula is opaque.
A few realities:
The nonfiction and advice lists are often dominated by celebrity books and backlist titles (books that have been out for more than a year), like Atomic Habits, which has stayed on the list for hundreds of weeks.
There are rumors about “buying your way on” via bulk purchases and complex buying strategies. The Times flags some of these with a small dagger symbol next to the title — its way of hinting that something unusual is going on with the sales pattern.
Bottom line: NYT is powerful and prestigious, but it’s not a pure reflection of who sold the most books last week.
3. USA Today: The Most Straightforward List
The USA Today bestseller list is Meghan’s favorite:
It’s based on actual sales data across retailers.
It includes both frontlist (new) and backlist (older) books.
It offers category views and a broader picture of what’s selling.
For example, she mentions a client who hit the USA Today list but not the NYT. That kind of discrepancy is common and reflects the different ways the lists are compiled. USA Today is closer to “who sold a lot of books this week,” while the Times filters that through its own lens.
Backlist Bestsellers: The Quiet, Powerful Goal Most Authors Overlook
Meghan shares a crucial insight:
Some of the most valuable “bestsellers” never hit a major list at all.
She points to examples like Profit First, which sold hundreds of thousands of copies without ever appearing on a major bestseller list. In her own career, she highlights The Dyslexic Advantage — a book that:
Wasn’t an instant hit.
Sold steadily over time via word‑of‑mouth (parents, teachers, schools recommending it).
Eventually passed 100,000 copies sold and earned a revised edition with a major publisher.
These are backlist bestsellers:
Books that do okay in year one.
Then sell consistently, year after year, often because they solve a specific problem for a specific audience.
They quietly generate revenue, leads, speaking, and authority long after launch.
For entrepreneurs and experts, Meghan argues this is the most valuable kind of “bestseller”:
It keeps bringing you clients and opportunities.
It keeps reinforcing your authority.
It becomes a durable asset, not just a one‑week spike.
Calling yourself “bestselling author” based on a brief list appearance is exciting, but a book that reliably sells and supports your business over a decade is far more powerful.
Bulk Buys, Gaming the System, and What Really Matters
Meghan also talks about bulk buys — large orders placed all at once — and how they can push a book onto certain lists:
Sometimes it’s legitimate: corporate consultants and speakers buying thousands of copies from the publisher because they sell or give them away at events.
Sometimes it’s manipulative: people paying services to orchestrate bulk purchases across retailers to try to game lists and claim “bestseller” status.
The USA Today list can reveal bulk‑buy patterns. The NYT has tried to flag suspicious activity with its dagger symbol. Meghan’s view is pragmatic:
Bulk buys can be a reasonable strategy when you know you’ll move those books through real‑world work.
But chasing list status purely for ego, with no real audience or impact, is a hollow win.
Questions This Episode Answers
“Am I a real bestselling author if I hit #1 in an Amazon subcategory?”
“Which bestseller list should I aim for?”
“Can I become a bestselling author without hitting any major list?”
“Are bulk buys a good strategy for me?”
“Should ‘hitting a bestseller list’ be my main goal?”
