Kindle Price: $0.00

Promotions apply when you purchase

These promotions will be applied to this item:

Some promotions may be combined; others are not eligible to be combined with other offers. For details, please see the Terms & Conditions associated with these promotions.

Read with our free app
You've subscribed to ! We will preorder your items within 24 hours of when they become available. When new books are released, we'll charge your default payment method for the lowest price available during the pre-order period.
Update your device or payment method, cancel individual pre-orders or your subscription at
Your Memberships & Subscriptions
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs

Becoming Bestsellers: John Grisham and Danielle Steel (Sample from Chapter 2 of THE BESTSELLER CODE): Anatomy of the Blockbuster Novel Kindle Edition

by Jodie Archer (Author), Matthew L. Jockers (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 58 ratings
See all formats and editions

This sneak peek teaser - featuring literary giants John Grisham and Danielle Steele - from Chapter 2 of The Bestseller Code, a groundbreaking book about what a computer algorithm can teach us about blockbuster books, stories, and reading, reveals the importance of topic and theme in bestselling fiction according to percentages assigned by what the authors refer to as the “bestseller-ometer.”

Although 55,000 novels are published every year, only about 200 hit the lists, a commercial success rate of less than half a percent. When the computer was asked to “blindly” select the most likely bestsellers out of 5,000 books published over the past thirty years based only on theme, it discovered two possible candidates: The Accident by Danielle Steel and The Associate by John Grisham.

The computer recognized quantifiable patterns in their seemingly opposite, but undeniably successful writing careers with legal thrillers and romance. In Chapter 2, Archer and Jockers analyze this data and divulge the most and least likely to best sell topics and themes in fiction with a human discussion of the “why” behind these results.

The Bestseller Code is a big-idea book about the relationship between creativity and technology. At heart it is a celebration of books for readers and writers—a compelling investigation into how successful writing works.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    42 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    St. Martin's Press
  5. Publication date
    August 16, 2016
  6. File size
    1741 KB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  10. See all details
Next page
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01KFWOHOM
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ St. Martin's Press (August 16, 2016)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ August 16, 2016
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1741 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 42 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.9 3.9 out of 5 stars 58 ratings

Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5 stars
3.9 out of 5
58 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Ralph E. Vaughan
5.0 out of 5 stars Why a bestseller?
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2016
Verified Purchase
A concise and clear look at what makes a bestselling book based on content analysis, word clouds and themes. We learn a bit how online sellers categorize books to both facilitate and frustrate readers. This is but a single chapter of the whole, but a tantalizing glimpse nonetheless.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
D. W. Kavanaugh
3.0 out of 5 stars With that kind of exposure an author would need to have written a very poor book to fail
Reviewed in the United States on September 10, 2016
Verified Purchase
I read the "sneak peek" chapter last night. The information it contained was intriguing and helpful, however, I have a problem with their obvious disdain for fantasy and science fiction. They claim that the bestselling Harry Potter and Game of Thrones novels were flukes that only appeared on the NYT list briefly. They also claim that the bestselling topics and overarching theme chosen by the computer makes it clear that fantasy and science fiction could never make the bestseller list. What they fail to notice is that the favored theme of human connectedness and the most common topics of family life/relationships and crime and violence appear in abundance in Harry Potter and GOT. In other words, they were bestsellers (Harry Potter sold 450 million worldwide and made Rowling a billionaire) for the very reason this algorithm claimed Steele and Grisham are bestselling authors. So much for the public rejecting fantasy.

The other problem I have is that the authors chose to focus on the NYT bestseller list. This list is obviously biased in favor of books published by the big 5 NY publishing companies. The Martian is probably the only self-published digital book to make the list and that only happened because it was made into a movie. As for the likes of Grisham, Steele, Nora Roberts/J D Robb, Jodi Picoult, etc.who are the darlings of the big publishers (rightfully so), of course their books sell in the millions. Yours would too if it appeared on the shelves of every grocery store, drug store, bookstore and airport in the country. With that kind of exposure an author would need to have written a very poor book to fail.

Finally, this algorithm was created by two individuals using their parameters. Can they honestly say that the information they have gleaned is completely unbiased?

All that being said, this is just one chapter in the book. Perhaps subsequent chapters are less insulting and are more inclusive of other genres. I don't know. Right now I can't even look at the table of contents. In any case, I will wait for more reviews before I consider spending $15 for the hardcover version.
26 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Fast Reader
3.0 out of 5 stars A Word of Warning
Reviewed in the United States on October 2, 2016
Verified Purchase
I found out about this research a while ago, and was looking forward to the book. The premise is perfect: science examining art and thus illuminating human condition. Well, examine it did, illuminate – not so much. I found myself simultaneously impressed with the depth of the research and disappointed with the triviality of the findings. Moreover, as much as the authors hope that their formula will open publishing industry to new writers overlooked otherwise, I have a feeling it will only serve to build more, higher walls, imprisoning writers in even tighter cells. Ironically, what would mediate the potential for abuse is making the formula available to the public in the form of a readily accessible test. It’s just the question of time until application of this or similar math becomes obligatory among agents and publishers. If the potential success or failure of an artist’s project is going to depend on a formula, the artist should have the right to face his accuser.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Lindallc
5.0 out of 5 stars A Worthy Read
Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2018
Verified Purchase
Lots of great information about themes and topics that make up a best-selling book, based on algorithms. As a new novelist, I found this book fascinating and helpful.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Jim Misko
5.0 out of 5 stars An appetizer, not an entre.
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2017
Verified Purchase
This is only part of the whole book, Bestseller Code, which I purchased and received this as a bonus. It's as good as the book but buy the book.
Helpful
 Report
Elisabeth B. Stanton
2.0 out of 5 stars Diffficult to understand
Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
This book was so poorly written it was almost incomprehensible. The author decidedly needs a proof reader and an editor.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 stars A computer wrote this book!!!
Reviewed in the United States on October 3, 2016
Verified Purchase
I'm rather ambivalent about this free sample. I don't know if I should feel gracious or what. The book reads like it was written by a computer. The narrative is not entertaining but stiff with no real personality. It felt like I was reading a book on tax code. like...cold and impersonal. I wanted to feel like it was a human author, where was the human touch, where was the humor? It felt like a robot was talking to me!!!. I WAS not compelled to purchase complete book. There are many other out there that do the same thing.

I think in the future they will reveal to us that a computer wrote this book.....don't be shocked..i won't be surprised..it's already a reality.

Will I buy the complete book? Nah...I will wait until it comes out in the library....but not now...so 3 stars for effort.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Richard O.
2.0 out of 5 stars Meh...
Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2016
Verified Purchase
Not interesting enough to make me want to buy the rest of the book.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Report an issue

Does this item contain inappropriate content?
Report
Do you believe that this item violates a copyright?
Report
Does this item contain quality or formatting issues?
Report