Who decides a best seller?

A simple question one would have though. If the book is good enough it will sell, right? Unfortunately, how naïve we are.

A recent report said that William Boyd was named novelist of the year when he received the Costa Book Award for 2007 (known as the Whitbread Book Award until last year) an prize open to residents of Britain and the Republic of Ireland and awarded in five categories - novel, first novel, poetry, biography and children's book. (http://www.costabookawards.com/awards/category_winners.aspx)

Of course, there is the Man Booker, and the Orange, and the Pulitzer, etc, etc.

Then this report in the Guardian Blog: Eyes on the prize: Are nominations for literary prizes being sewn up before authors have even signed with a publisher? (http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/books/2007/01/put_your_best_book_forward_1.html)
'Apparently agents can collude with publishers to guarantee, through publishing deals, that certain authors are put forward for specific prizes.'

Then there is report of how Richard and Judy of Channel four are ones who actually determine which books are best sellers in the UK! What a refreshing bit of air after all those stuffy awards. (Then again there was that Oprah Book Club debacle.)

Isn't it wonderfully fun to knock all these awards about? Until you finally win one, that is? (http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/books/news/article2125407.ece)