With the news that David’s book “Chords of Strength” made #15 on the New York Times best seller non-fiction list, I began to wonder how a book makes it to the list. I was interested to read that the New York Times “tracks” a book (not every book published) they deem a potential best seller and ask 4,000 bookstores, both chain and independent, to report sales. Other times they are alerted by the publisher to a book that has gained a fast rise in sales. The fact that David’s first attempt at something outside the music world made it to this standard in publishing is astonishing.
He is hard at work doing interviews on national television and local radio stations, as well as meeting and signing books for those fortunate enough to attend a book signing. This is a smart move rather than simply relying on word of mouth or fan sites to promote the product. According to Alan T. Sorensen of Stanford Business School, who studied sales, the majority of book buyers look to the Times list to see what is worth reading. Making the list is huge for David in that he is an unknown in the world of writers. Consider how many copies of his book have been or will be gifted over the next 6 months. Or how many who never heard of Idol or him, will pick up that book from a store display and buy it. The snowball effect for him is obvious. Buy a book. Buy a CD. Become a fan for life!
![]() |
One last thing. Bestsellers can play a significant role in the movie industry. David is iconic in that most fans agree he may be the best choice to star in a movie adapted from “Chords of Strength.” Put on a pair of 3-D glasses and imagine with me a twenty foot David defending Midnight and Cloudy’s honor from the evil tomcat who comes a-courting!