The New York Times Best Seller List

The New York Times Best Seller List ranks the top-selling books in the United States.

Fast Facts

1. First published: April 9, 1942
2. Published every Sunday in The New York Times

About

Since its inception in the early 1940s, the list has become one of the most well-regarded and influential of its kind. Publishers and book buyers often cite the list to determine the success (and sometimes the quality) of new releases.

Though it is not exactly known how the list is compiled, journalist Edwin Diamond stated in his 1993 book Behind The Times: Inside the New New York Times that thousands of bookstores and wholesalers are surveyed to determine how books rank on the list.

Comprised of fiction, nonfiction and children's literature sections, the list is published weekly in the Sunday edition of The New York Times, and also in The New York Times Book Review magazine.

Key Sections of the List

• Hardcover Fiction
• Paperback Trade Fiction
• Paperback Mass-Market Fiction
• Hardcover Nonfiction
• Paperback Nonfiction
• Children's Books
• Hardcover Advice
• Paperback Advice
• Hardcover Business
• Paperback Business

Categories