New York Times best-selling author James Patterson now raising questions over credibility of list: 'Denied'

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James Patterson questions NYT best sellers list’s criteria


Author James Patterson says the New York Times best sellers list is ‘inaccurate’ after his book, which he says performed better than other titles, did not make the cut.

James Patterson, who holds the Guinness World Record for the most #1 New York Times best sellers, is criticizing the list as "inaccurate." 

Patterson recently co-authored a book on the real-life stories within law enforcement called "Walk the Blue Line: No Right, No Left - Just cops telling their true stories to James Patterson." The book, which carries with it an accompanying documentary streamable on Fox Nation, was penned alongside Matt Eversmann, a now-retired staff sergeant who'd been immortalized in the film Black Hawk Down - marking the second book the pair have partnered on thus far. 

Patterson said the book outsold the bottom seven books on the weekly best sellers list, according to BookScan. However, his book did not make the cut.

The author subsequently wrote a letter to the Times accusing them of "cooking" the list when they claim to use "raw" sales. 

Patterson isn't the only author to have appeared to be snubbed. He cited how the list excluded a book from Mike Pompeo, despite Donald Trump’s former Secretary of State reportedly outselling six books that made the list. 

Patterson joined "Fox & Friends Weekend" on Sunday, stressing, "this shouldn’t be complicated." The novelist explained that failing to make the best seller's list comes with repercussions, noting that if a book is not included, the author is "denied" sales and publicity.

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According to the methodology page on the New York Times' site called "About the Best Sellers," the publication maintains that "sales are statistically weighted to represent and accurately reflect all outlets proportionally nationwide."

Patterson criticized this, telling ‘Fox & Friends Weekend,' "here you suggest your process has statistical rigor. And it simply doesn’t." Patterson said the list reflects the Times’ journalistic rigor "in a very minor way."

The cover of co-authors James Patterson and Matt Eversmann's 'Walk the Blue Line,' which hits shelves today. (Fox News)

In response to an inquiry sent by OutKick to the New York Times Best Seller press department, the publication said: 

"We responded to Mr. Patterson to let him know that we take his concerns seriously and are always reviewing our methods in compiling the Best-Seller Lists to ensure that we are best serving our readers."

"Our bestsellers lists are based on detailed analysis of book sales from a wide range of retailers, tens of thousands of brick-and-mortar stores of all sizes, and numerous online book-selling vendors to best represent what is selling across the United States."

"We have and will continue to track Mr. Patterson’s latest books. In the last 15 years, Mr. Patterson’s books have ranked on our Best-Seller lists over 4,000 times."

According to OutKick, there is still no word on why Pompeo's book hadn't made the list.

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OutKick's Bobby Burack contributed to this report