Not an April Fool’s Joke…
by
it just feels like one.
I have just made the New York Times extended Bestseller List at #31. (Apparently the Gray Lady didn’t resent that “pencil-necked rube” jibe a few posts back.) There are lists and then there are lists. It’s a little byzantine, so I’ll explain what I’ve learned: The New York Times has bestseller lists for each book format: hardcover, mass market paperback (like mine), and trade paperback (the bigger, more expensive format). They also cover non-fiction and children’s books. Why so many lists? Because there are 172,000 books published every year in the US. And the main list of 15 spots is owned by nice folks named Patterson, Grisham, King, Steele, Picoult, Cussler, Coben, Meyer, and whomever Oprah likes. So in order to add some spice, the NY Times has the extra lists.
This is A Big Deal. Orbit says that according to their official guidelines, I am now “New York Times Bestselling Author Brent Weeks.”
When I graduated from college, I made a bucket list. On it, I believe the first three items were, “Write a novel. Get published. Make the NY Times Bestseller List.” As I got a little older and more mature, I finished the first item and realized how ridiculously improbable the second was, much less the third. My dream became slightly more modest: to just make enough to support my family while doing what I love. So this is surreal. I thought this was the kind of thing you work for a whole career to earn, and I certainly didn’t think I’d hit it with my first book.
I want to thank all of you who forced your friends to read my book. Hitting the bestseller list six months after publication tells me that this isn’t the result of a huge publicity push–not that marketing didn’t have a integral part in this!–but a late peak tells you that people are telling their friends. So you’re responsible for me being able to survive to write more books and live my dream. Thank you. And I want to thank agent Don Maass for taking a chance on me and Devi and everyone at Orbit for working so hard on these books. I also want to thank Borders. They’ve been awesome, and just last week they put up one of those little cardboard stands for me and fellow Orbit author Karen Miller/K.E. Mills. I wouldn’ t have hit the list if they hadn’t. There are supposed to be those stands at every Borders in the country, so I’ll post pictures as soon as I can drive out to my nearest Borders.
Congrats on this! It’s on my wife’s want list as well so I definately understand what this means. Such a cool thing. Well deserved.
Congratulations Brent!
wow! Congratulations on a *VERY* much deserved accomplishment!
Hello Brent,
Congratulations on this major milestone, though in all honesty after reading just a few chapters I felt that it was only a matter of time before this book took off.
As you mentioned in your post, I did get this book from a friend. Seth, the friend mentioned, was adamant that I had to read this series. I am barely halfway through “the Way of Shadows” and I went out today and bought books two and three and ordered my own copy of the first book. I love this series so far and can only imagine where it is about to take me. I am hooked.
Though it barely means anything I will undoubtedly purchase anything you publish.
Again congrats.
Steven
dude that is f——g awesome i hope u hit #1 soon cuz your books are f——g awesome!!!! brent weeks FTW!!!!
OH YAY! [claps and cheers] :3
CONGRATULATIONS.
You’re right, this is A Big Deal. Way to go 🙂
I’m thrilled to see your success. Word of mouth can’t be underestimated, obviously you havent! I was introduced to your books by a friend who insisted I read them, much as I am doing to others now. Congratulations on your success, I look forward to your books rising in popularity.
I think this is clear evidence that you need to continue this series. I realize the trilogy is complete but I can’t get motivated to read anything else after finishing it, all I want to read is more Night Angel.
Congratulations Brent! I made a bucket list at Hillsdale as well that involved making a giant marble statue by the time I was 25. Everyone laughed at me. Just after my 25th birthday I got a big check to make TWO giant marble statues. It took me nearly five years to finish. I kept pinching myself to see if this was real. Once they were done, though, I felt like “now what?” I should’ve written a longer list. ;-P
I was at Borders last week and saw the cardboard stand featuring you and K E Mills. I was so pleased to see such a public acknowledgment for two of my favorite new writers. Congratulations on making the NYT list, Brent. You earned it!
Dude congrats! Your books are the best things i have read in a long time and have inspired me a great deal!
Couldn’t have happened to a nicer fella. Well done, sir.
Congrats on making the list – huge accomplishment! I haven’t read the book yet, but now I may just go out and buy it! : )
Hey Brent!
Great Job. I just read all three of your books in a span of about 2 weeks. You deserve to be on Oprah’s show! ha I agree with some of the other people. I will undoubtedly buy every book you write or publish. Your a great author and i hope more is coming! Keep up the great work!
I would read the 2nd and 3rd books if my local bookshop didn’t sell out so fast. I guess I could order and read in Stanza but I want the book in my hand, not on an iPhone.
My local library also has your trilogy but the waiting list for your books is over a month long. I guess I’ll just have to buy from Amazon.
Congrats on a well deserved new title! I’d seen your books in Borders and laughed a bit to myself because they reminded me a bit of a friend’s character–so I previewed them. After reading the preview on Amazon, I had to pick them up and find out what happened to Azoth and Durzo. 🙂 I look forward to your future books, and I’ve been pressing my husband and friends to read the Night Angels trilogy also!
Thrilled to hear it! You, and the book, definately deserved it! Your writing is breathtaking, your imagination surpasses most, and your books are fantastically captivating. Thank you so much for sharing it with us all, and congratulations on a well deserved victory!
Congrats, Brent! Yes, we have been telling others (in person and on Twitter) about the books. In fact, I may have to assault my brother-in-law to get my copies back, even though he’s already read them… Hmmm… May have to buy them for him for his birthday… 😉
Congrats!!! You deserve it its the best series Ive read in awhile, I can honestly say I wish there were more..like 3 more!
Wow I am very proud of that. You go man
You must release a box set :-)The giant book is difficult
to aquire outside of the internet.
Its only a matter of time until the
Meyer fad has slowed enough to allow room for others!
Keep writing.
well, if it means anything, i agree with steven hudson there saying i’ll buy anything else you publish, your a good man for occupying a boy on a 10 hour work shift of apsolutely nothing to do
and i force fed the book to my buddy today, he currently has it, and if he hasn’t started it by tommorrow i’m giving him 10 dozen lashings
hey, for the record, i’ve read *name of other authors deleted so you don’t feel like a rube* and i like you. you’re definitely up there. congratulations =)
haha, nice one. (lol im writing this a year after your post nyahahaahah) lulz loved Night Angel series. Will look for your next book Black Prism ^___^
Wow, you really deserve this man I can’t tell you how inspiring your books are and how awesome it is to see them be recognized and appreciated on a large scale.
Congrats again, please never stop writing.