Numbers are just that...

Something to think about. We use numbers to make sense of the world around us. We collate and crunch and quantify, and either it's one or more. (Okay, negative integers need some love, too!).

Bottom line: we tend to judge things in terms of numbers on how 'good' something is. In some cases, it's totally apt. A baseball player who hits .300, has 30 homers and 100 RBIs is better than one who hits .250, has 18 homers and 88 RBIs. All other things being equal--games played, defensive ability, etc.--the first player one comes out ahead.

In the publishing world, it's a different story, so to speak, and no pun intended. Lower is always better--or is it?

I'm not so sure. I've read books that were in the 1.5 million category and considered them better than those in the top 100.

We all know the purchase of one book can alter rankings by a million or more, and we tend to be drawn to the lower numbers.

But lower or higher isn't necessarily a good indicator of how good the book is, unless it remains in the top 100, or, let's be generous, the top 10000 for a few weeks. Even then, it's a matter of opinion.

A reviewer once said that I should be better known. I'm not going to disagree. (Winks). That's not bragging; it's what they said.

However, to GET known, your books have to be purchased and read first, so when you go 'zon shopping--or shop at another site--forget about the numbers. Check the blurb, the synopsis, the reviews, and then decide.

Just my thoughts for the day.