GREY Is Everywhere
It’s gone from whispered conversations and furtive downloads to best seller lists and mainstream coverage. The erotic novel dubbed “Mommy porn,” Fifty Shades of Grey, hits the upcoming NYT Trade Paperback Fiction Best Seller list at #1 (the ebook version continues at #1 on that list after its debut last week; the other two books in the trilogy are also on the lists in both formats). Entertainment Weekly gives it a surprisingly high B+ (the review is by a woman; it seems that men have more problems with the book than women– see “It’s All Porn to Me, One Man’s Review of 50 Shades of Grey,” Jesse Kornbluth’s article, “S&M for Dummies” in the Huffington Post and Dr. Drew repeatedly shaking his head over it — has Rush Limbaugh weighed in yet?).
It’s also featured as a “Buzz Book” in the new issue of People, which notes the author’s “clunky writing,” NPR examines into the book’s origin as Twilight fan fiction, Hollywood is buzzing about a movie rights auction (causing Entertainment Weekly‘s “PopWatch” blog to speculate on casting — Rupert Friend as the billionaire with a bondage fixation who seduces an innocent young women played by Rooney Mara).
Those libraries that have ordered it are now showing heavy holds. The RH/Vintage print edition is listed as releasing on April 3 and is currently available in ebook from OverDrive. The original print edition, from the small Australian publisher The Writer’s Coffee Shop is POD, ISBN 9781612130293. It’s been difficult to obtain, raising the question of how the it landed on the NYT list (UPDATE: the NYT list is now posted; Fifty Shades, at #1, is followed by the second and third titles in the trilogy, at #17 and #18. All are listed as the Vintage print editions, which supposedly are not available yet. Curiouser and curiouser.)
March 16th, 2012 at 11:32 am
Is the NYT list published yet? I saw it on the eBook/Print and eBook lists, but (as you say) how it would make it on to the Trade PB list is a great question!
I’m still trying to decide if I should read it.
March 21st, 2012 at 2:20 pm
We got our set from Amazon roughly a week after we ordered it. Apparently we got our order in before they ran out. Our titles were published by the Writer’s Coffee Shop.
March 22nd, 2012 at 11:09 am
The NYT Bestseller list is based on orders, not on books sold. Publisher’s Weekly is a much more accurate barometer of actual sales.
March 26th, 2012 at 2:42 pm
NYT BS List is based on sales not orders. However, if you report to the Times you give the sales information for the titles they inquire about – and only those titles. The Indie Bestseller list and the USA Today are also lists that are purely based on sales.