Nielsen bookscan numbers: Amazon's early Christmas gift to authors
(Read article summary)But is the knowledge that comes from Nielsen bookscan numbers more likely to harm or help?
Knowledge may be power, but the latest news from Amazon.com reminds us that a little knowledge is also a dangerous thing. The company announced it would give authors free access to Nielsen Bookscan numbers, letting them see how many books they are selling and where.
Such data had previously been expensive and hard for authors to acquire, even from agents and editors, wrote Techcrunch in a story headlined “The Walls of
Jericho Have Fallen.” Of course, what they’re learning now isn’t always good news.
“Hear that? That’s the sound of thousands of authors’ hearts stopping mid-keystroke as they open up their Bookscan numbers and keel over dead of disappointment,” the TechCrunch story began. Or as The L.A. Times headline puts it: "Get the Xanax Ready."
The caveats: Amazon noted that Bookscan doesn’t include digital book sales and only captures an estimated 75 percent of all print retail sales. (The numbers doesn’t include Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club, libraries, or sales to certain wholesalers, according to the Amazon site.
Still, the news blew around in a whirlwind of angst, interest, and even wry humor.
