How Do Publishers Determine Reading Book Level For Bestsellers?

Question

So many bestselling authors write complex adult fiction, but how do those reading levels actually get assigned for commercial hits like Colleen Hoover's books?

Arlene Visitacion · Answer

How do books get chosen? Usually, it is a combination of the book’s current sales, the reader’s favorite genre, and how long the book has been on a retailer’s high-demand list. Algorithms on most online bookstores choose books for readers, but also, publishers look at pre-order sales and the book’s sales velocity over weeks, not just a spike in sales. For example, “Billionaire Love Story Series” by author Blue Bailey receives intense demand from the reader and the fanbase’s consistent reads and rapid completions signal to any platform that this book is a top-tier performer. This kind of organic, sustained engagement from a reader is something that is noticed by both the algorithms and the editors.

Riley · Answer

How do publishers determine reading levels for the best books of the year? Determining a reading level for a bestseller is part art and part science. Lexile Framework measures and Flesch-Kincaid grade level scores are often used to determine a reading level for a book. However, there are many factors that go into these scores, such as theme, complexity of story, and intended audience. A book such as The Hunger Games has a lower Lexile score due to the fast-paced nature of the book which is intended for a younger reading audience.

In addition to using reading level tools such as Lexile measures and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, the publishers of bestsellers today also study market trends and reader demographics. An example of this is where Where the Crawdads Sing was initially marketed as a piece of literary fiction but later categorized as a crossover when it gained a huge following of non-literary readers. Because bestsellers can often fall outside of typical reading level classifications, it is not uncommon for a book to be misclassified at the time of its release. However, once a book gains momentum with readers, it can be reclassified to better meet the needs of its actual audience.

Finn · Answer

So yeah, I’m a total weirdo when it comes to book classification. Publishers assign a reading level to the big bestsellers, but they’ve drilled down into the subtext and the number of chapters in a book to get to that number. Project Hail Mary, for example, is a science fiction book that could read as very hard for many readers because of the scientific concepts that it describes. But Weir’s written it in a way that is pretty conversational for most readers. There are a lot of tools out there to measure the reading level of written work, such as ATOS and the Fry Graphs, but in the end, it is the human editor who makes these kinds of calls. I’ve seen a manuscript get bumped from YA to adult because the main character’s age changed in revisions.

Publishers also commonly grant thrills a pass on written complexity that would fail in the realm of youth literature, particularly in the lower end of the YA reading level, say in the MG range. I’ve had to move a manuscript from YA to adult solely on the main character’s change of age during revisions. I expect much the same for audiobooks, as they increase complexity by featuring narration which may make highly written work seem much easier to read than it really is.

Emma · Answer

Many factors are taken into consideration when determining a book’s reading level. From word count and paragraph length to amount of dialogue and a book’s overall emotional maturity, publishers rely on an array of research to help place a novel within the proper age category. While The Fault in Our Stars may fall within the middle-grade reading level due to its simple sentence structure and relatively short chapters, the content is far too mature for young readers. As an example, a novel such as Eleanor & Park would be marketed similar to that of Perks of Being a Wallflower to readers of corresponding ages.

However, a book like Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie defies these conventions as it explores deep issues, which are not necessarily captured in language metrics. Factors such as cultural relevance are taken into consideration and assessed through means such as focus groups and early reader feedback before a book is launched.

Ellie · Answer

Publishers use reading levels as a sort of secret ingredient in their recipe for a published book. Typically, the levels are based on word frequency and the number of syllables per word. However, as with any good recipe, the magic can vary. A popular children’s series such as Harry Potter will often see the reading levels of later books increase as the audience for the series grows up. Bestselling adult novels such as The Silent Patient, which was marketed as an adult psychological thriller but has been received by mature teens, can often exceptions to the typical rules that most novels follow.

Larry Ponte · Answer

The metric of social media digestibility is becoming increasingly important. Can key scenes, quotes and images from a book be reduced to a TikTok video or Instagram reel? A highly visual or quote-worthy book is more likely to be offered up as accessible to a mass audience. The book’s reading level has become tied to its potential to go viral on social media. Dense philosophy is “specialized” and for “true bibliophiles”, whereas a plot-driven book with obvious hooks is offered up as “everyone’s reading this…you could too”.

lesteryork7 · Answer

Much of a book’s marketing and promotion rides on the opening line of the first paragraph. Is it incredibly attention-grabbing? Then it can be a “page-turner” regardless of the rest of the book. Or is it slow and descriptive? Then it’s an “atmospheric” read. Because many readers and booksellers read the first page of a book, that opening is the single most important part of your work for a first-impression. I know of many an editor working with authors to beef up and clarify the opening line in order to give the book the best first impression possible in order to secure a more commercial “level” designation.

Adielyn Sumbing · Answer

The first print run size for a book can tell you a lot. A huge first print run indicates that the book needs a huge, broad audience. Hence the publisher assesses the reading level to be broadly accessible and they are staking their reputation on the book not being too much for the average reader. A small first print run, on the other hand, allows for a more niche or complex book and thus indicates the financial commitment of the publisher and the box that they are trying to put the book into. If a book is aimed to be a bestseller then a huge print run is usually involved and thus the book needs to be written at a bestseller reading level – that which will satisfy the median reader, not the cleverest or most patient.

Grendy Paez · Answer

Most authors desire crossover appeal. That is, they want their adult literary work to also appeal to young adults. Or perhaps their futuristic, space-based novel to also be read by Historical Fiction fans. In searching for such audiences, the process of determining a reading level often takes on a particular quality. In the end, most literature is “boundary-defying” and is written “for readers of all kinds.” In evaluating the reading level of a work, therefore, writers and editors seek out the lowest common denominator – that is, the emotional center or the central narrative of the work, which requires the least specialized knowledge or taste on the part of the reader. When it works, it becomes a phenomenon.

Mat Jue · Answer

I should say that the assessment of a manuscript is a combination of art and science. First, the text is run through readability software such as Flesch-Kincaid, which yields a numerical score. But that score is the bare beginning of the assessment. The most crucial part of the process is determining where a given manuscript fits into the current cultural landscape. Thus a dense, challenging book on a current topic is offered up as more accessible than its language really is to a readership eager to devour such work. Conversely, a straightforwardly written book with heavy themes is marketed as ‘deceptively complex’ to a likely audience. In the end, the decision is made as to whether a given manuscript will become a bestseller, and the author’s language is weighed against the potential reading public’s willingness to engage with his/her work.

How Do Publishers Determine Reading Book Level For Bestsellers?

10 Answers

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