She hired a shady company specialized in “creating best-sellers” that guided her through the process. Still, how did Sarem know how to game the system?Įasy. Nevertheless, a close source to Sarem stated Handbook for Mortals was given away, not resold. To overcome this hurdle, Sarem admitted she bought the books in bulk at bookstores that report to the list, but only so she could later resell them at the conventions because she wanted her sales to count. Moreover, though the way the New York Times curates its list is still shrouded in mystery, it’s widely known that convention sales aren’t taken into account. After all, people go to buy comics, not prose books. Martin sell hundreds - not thousands - of books per convention. Big-name authors like Neil Gaiman and George R.R. In response, she argued that the YA community was just upset because she was an indie author.Īccording to Sarem, she sold almost 13.000 copies at comic-cons, selling an average of 2.100 books per convention, an unrealistic number. In less than a day, the New York Times removed Sarem, claiming her book didn’t meet the inclusion criteria. By buying in bulk from specific bookstores, she bought her way to the top. Some, like Phil Stamper, didn’t let the issue rest.Īlong with others, he set out to find the truth behind Sarem’s “success”, a detective work that led him to a disturbing discovery: Sarem gamed the system. Now, you’re probably wondering: If the book is so bad, how did Sarem trick her way to the top?Īfter the New York Times posted its weekly list in August 2017, crowning Sarem, many YA authors responded with skepticism. Since then, some regard Handbook for Mortals as the “worst book of all time”, which may be true considering it has a 1.27-star rating on Goodreads, the lowest I’ve seen.

Once it was taken down from the list, sales died a swift death. But Handbook for Mortals isn’t one of them. That said, we all know a book whose quality is mediocre at best, yet it finds an audience hungry for its story. Worse, the cover was stolen from another artist. Though Sarem claims she hired several editors, it seems unlikely. But just in the first few pages, the initial allure disappears.

It has several tropes that have proven successful in the YA age category (Edward and Jacob, anyone?), not to mention an intriguing setting. Ultimately, she finds herself in a love triangle with two of them.Īt first glance, the story looks promising. One day, she leaves home and goes to work in a Vegas magic show like Cirque du Soleil, where she’s surrounded by handsome men who are magnetically drawn to her. A Glimpse Into the “Worst Book of All Time”Ī Handbook for Mortals follows Zade, a woman who possesses magical powers and is incredibly attractive though she doesn’t know it ( sigh).

Handbook for mortals author