by John Dawson
Post Date:
May 14, 2026 Issue Date:
June 1, 2026

Page turners

Name: WORLD
Price range: $

BY THE NUMBERS | Who’s really reading books penned by famous politicians?

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67,000

The number of copies of California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s new book purchased by a political action committee (PAC) he controls. The PAC distributed the books to donors. The campaign, which cost more than $1.5 million, vaulted Newsom’s memoir to The New York Times bestseller list. The tactic highlights growing attempts to hack sales numbers to provide authors with a false sense of momentum.

68.7%

The share of Newsom’s total book sales that came from bulk PAC purchases, according to an April New York Times report.

$60,000

The listed cost of a high-end “major charts campaign” advertised by marketing firm Edioak with an aim at placing books on major bestseller lists.

2,000 to 6,000

The median weekly sales numbers for nonfiction titles that made The New York Times bestseller list, according to a study published in 2018 by Northeastern University researchers.