How to make a bestseller: insiders reveal the tricks of the book trade

The useful part

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. 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?

How it works

• 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 publisher for more than 30 years and is now a literary agent.
• They're the booksellers, the supermarket stock buyers, the publishing houses and their ranks of marketers and publicists.