The definition of a bestseller remains subjective, with no strict technical criteria, but placement on a bestseller list often confers the title. According to industry experts, a book’s presence on a recognized list, such as the Bestseller 60, is often enough to label an author as a “bestselling author”.

While the all-time best-selling books like Anne Frank’s diary and the Bible aren’t considered bestsellers, the books that achieve high sales in a short period are. This phenomenon is often driven by herd behavior, where popularity is fueled by the fact that “everyone reads it because everyone reads it.”

Although there’s no guaranteed formula for creating a bestseller, these books often share common traits. Bestsellers frequently offer both entertainment and educational value. Examples include Umberto Eco’s “The Name of the Rose,” Dan Brown’s “The Da Vinci Code,” and Lucinda Riley’s “The Seven Sisters” series.

Bestsellers are closely tied to their time period, reflecting trends and fashion rather than timelessness. Unlike classics, they provide insights into daily life and social relations of a specific era, capturing details like contemporary culture and consumer preferences.

The concept of the bestseller emerged in the Netherlands around the early 20th century, coinciding with new technologies and a growing readership. While initially viewed with skepticism due to its focus on market value over literary quality, the bestseller has become a key element of the book market.

However, recent research suggests that the trend of “bestsellerization” may be leveling off, after the trend where the sales of books came from an ever-smaller group of books. The decline in sales required to be a golden book are also falling.

The industry has observed a decline in the “bestseller threshold,” with lower sales figures now qualifying a book as a bestseller. Publishers are seeing that authors once guaranteed hundreds of thousands of sales, are now seeing tens of thousands.

The rise of digital entertainment has also impacted reading habits, with more people now streaming content daily compared to reading books. Yet, book sales have remained stable, indicating a wider distribution of sales across various titles.

To get a book on the Bestseller 60 list, publishers and authors often rely on “presales,” encouraging early reservations through social media. While summer bestsellers include thrillers and historical fiction, there hasn’t been a standout title dominating the market recently.