New York Times Caves, Ted Cruz Book To Appear At #7 On Bestseller List
[guest post by Dana]
Five days after accusing The New York Times of bias, secrecy and foul play, Ted Cruz is finally getting what he wanted: a highly coveted spot on the paper’s bestseller list.
Cruz’s memoir, “A Time For Truth,” will appear at No. 7 on the Times’ list for hardcover nonfiction, reflecting its second-week sales, a Times spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday. The Texas senator’s book had not been included on the list for its first week, on the grounds that its sales had been driven by “strategic bulk purchases.”
Times spokesperson Eileen Murphy said that the newspaper made no changes to its selection process, and so the fact that Cruz’s book is being included now suggests a rise in individual purchases, spurred by his public battle with the paper.
“This week’s NYT best seller list was arrived at using the same process as last week’s – and the week before that,” Murphy wrote. “That process involves a careful analysis of data, and is not influenced in any way by the content of a book, or by pressure from publishers or book sellers.”
Murphy reiterated the company line:
“Our approach serves Times readers by authenticating broadly popular books through the confidential reporting of a wide range of retailers,” Murphy said Wednesday. “In order to avoid compromising that process, we do not disclose who reports sales to us.”
No response yet from the Cruz camp, however, Ted Cruz is scheduled to be on Megyn Kelly’s show tonight to discuss this turnaround, among other things.
–Dana