How to make a bestseller: insiders reveal the tricks of the book trade From cover design to shelf placement and influencer partnerships … how publishers will persuade you to buy their books this autumn Think about the last book you bought. How did you choose it? Was it from a recommendation, a review, a TikTok video? Did the cover grab you, were you swayed by the quotes on the front, or did you just happen to spot it on an appealing table as you walked into the shop? Did you think about all the nudges that led you to that decision – by the publisher, the bookseller or that person you follow on Insta? The reality is that our reading choices are directed and massaged at every turn. “It’s all about the art of persuasion,” says Philip Gwyn Jones, who was a… https://www.theguardian.com/books/ng-interactive/2026/aug/29/how-to-make-a-bestseller-insiders-reveal-the-tricks-of-the-book-trade #Publishing #Culture #Fiction #Books #Socialmedia