So for well-known authors or celebrities who already have built-in fan bases, appearing on the bestseller list might not matter as much. Instead, they’ll likely want to maximise sales – in which case, it’s best to publish in late October: The release will coincide with peak sales in December, when bookstores are packed with Christmas shoppers. The good news is that if you’re like me – and have written several books that didn’t end up as bestsellers – you still have a chance to break through: Our analysis shows that only 14% of novelists made the list with their first book. Albert-László Barabási, Robert Gray Dodge Professor of Network Science, Northeastern University. This article first appeared on The Conversation.