What Scott Gibb just said, I came here to say the same thing. The "lack of partisan rhetoric" in your book is what gives it power and value. I heard your podcast interview with Andrew Sullivan and noticed that there too you stuck with the direct path from your experience to your thoughts and did not fall into partisan hackery. The irony is that you're being smeared as a right-winger anyway—association with, and having expressed respect for Jordan Peterson is all it takes. (I know because I've been arguing with a liberal friend about you.) And this by people who pride themselves on caring about "quality."
The NYT list is “curated” - meaning sort of made-up. Take a victory lap, Rob. Most books (including great ones by sincere. talented authors) die quick and ignominious deaths. Writing a book is most often an exercise in desperate hopes and ultimately despair. Enjoy being part of the < 1% of authors who will get their thoughts out into the world!
“Oddly enough, it’s possible that the lack of partisan rhetoric in my book actually backfired.” Actually, the lack of partisan politics in your book is a huge plus.
Of course, they don’t put it on the NYT list. You put a mirror up to the elite and they don’t like what they see. Your background reflects the exact profile they claim to want to help, but you betray them by exposing the rank hypocrisy, false sincerity, self-indulgence, and the total lack of accountability for their actions. Better to label you “right wing” and call it a day. You proved the very point that if one truly wants to help, one must reflect on the actual outcomes of one’s actions. These elites don’t care about the results, they have already patted themselves on the back for their superior moral compass and moved on. Thank you, Rob, for all your hard work. It may seem slow but I think you are making a difference. Congratulations, and take a much deserved vacation! I’m sure your subscribers would be ok with an empty inbox for a spell knowing that you are getting a well deserved rest.
The NYT is simply discriminating against you because you're politically incorrect and telling a counter cultural story that they do not want to elevate. NYT have always been class snobs and intentionally curate their bestseller selections to advance their preferred social narratives.
Regardless of that...congratulations of your impressive achievement. I'll finish listening to last 1.5 hours of my audio version today.
Jordan Peterson’s books, which had a stratospheric number of purchases, never made it to the NYT bestseller list. We wondered if the reason was that he was a Canadian. I think the answer is more obvious now. When is a bestseller not a bestseller? When it says something that the elites don’t want to hear about. Rejoice in being a real bestseller reaching thousands because you have something valuable to say. Three cheers from Canada!
Don't stress over the NYT list. It's skewed, and not a measure of a book's worth. Seth Godin, who has written tons of books that didn't all make the list, has a lot to say about it:
Why is the NYT even a thing anymore in 2024? The only draw of the Times is who left them (Bari Weiss, I will follow you anywhere!) so maybe we need to help them get over themselves and move on. You have helped me understand the whole "Best Seller" thing and although disillusioned, not surprised. Once again, you have helped me to move forward when choosing books to read...not pay attention to the NYT "Best" Sellers list, but continue to read books that are recommended by writers like you (keep up your recommendations!), other substackers that I read, and now the USA today, Publishers Weekly, and Bookshop lists.
Oh, and so unfair that you were so sick during this amazing "opening act" for your book's release, but really Rob, I am just not surprised....the Universe seems to keep wanting to give you "challenges" and like the old commercial (you are too young to have seen this classic ad campaign about a watch--NOT a Rolex etc.) "You take a lickin' but keep on tickin' "
“If lists literally just compiled the bestselling books of all time, it would never really change. You’d just see the Bible, Harry Potter, and the Britney Spears/Prince Harry/A-list celeb memoir every week.” Funny! :)
My hypothesis of why the Epstein sex-trafficking scandal was so easily ignored when it first broke a decade before he finally was held to account is similar to your thinking about "classification." In the same way our cultural gatekeepers aren't quite sure what to do with a book they can't classify as sustaining or contradicting "the narrative," everyone was terrified to look too carefully at the first Epstein bust because no one could be sure whether their favorite narrative characters might be implicated.
As a result, the only people willing to have an opinion on topics that don't have a clear narrative function or make clear contributions to one or another preferred narrative's inertia are those who feel free to make truthful commentary about objective reality and to declare with moral / ethical clarity, "This is wrong."
Increasingly, those people are a vanishing species.
I’m sorry your illness hit you at exactly the wrong time, but the good news is that you’re building your immune system and so will probably have fewer such episodes in the future. I had miserable cases of flu nearly every year in my 20’s but then at some point just quit getting sick.
I’m listening to your book now and am at the point where you just started to thrive in the military. You’ve been given a miraculous opportunity to tell your story and I’m glad you did. You are the ‘exception to the rule’ about how important families are. For every success like you there are thousands of failures.
You definitely hustle. It shows you can't afford to just sit back and let things happen or hope for the best. Yes you care, you believe in your work and what you have to say and that comes through as authentic and bold.
I think you are on the WSJ’s best seller list as well. Not surprised about the NYT; they’ll move mountains to keep conservatives off it. I enjoyed the book throughly and have been spreading the word among family and friends about it. Congratulations, your success is richly deserved.
Go Rob GO! Watching this happen for you makes me feel healed of every step gone wrong in my own and only book launch of 2007. Thank you for sharing such candid, personal experiences.
What Scott Gibb just said, I came here to say the same thing. The "lack of partisan rhetoric" in your book is what gives it power and value. I heard your podcast interview with Andrew Sullivan and noticed that there too you stuck with the direct path from your experience to your thoughts and did not fall into partisan hackery. The irony is that you're being smeared as a right-winger anyway—association with, and having expressed respect for Jordan Peterson is all it takes. (I know because I've been arguing with a liberal friend about you.) And this by people who pride themselves on caring about "quality."
The NYT list is “curated” - meaning sort of made-up. Take a victory lap, Rob. Most books (including great ones by sincere. talented authors) die quick and ignominious deaths. Writing a book is most often an exercise in desperate hopes and ultimately despair. Enjoy being part of the < 1% of authors who will get their thoughts out into the world!
“Oddly enough, it’s possible that the lack of partisan rhetoric in my book actually backfired.” Actually, the lack of partisan politics in your book is a huge plus.
Of course, they don’t put it on the NYT list. You put a mirror up to the elite and they don’t like what they see. Your background reflects the exact profile they claim to want to help, but you betray them by exposing the rank hypocrisy, false sincerity, self-indulgence, and the total lack of accountability for their actions. Better to label you “right wing” and call it a day. You proved the very point that if one truly wants to help, one must reflect on the actual outcomes of one’s actions. These elites don’t care about the results, they have already patted themselves on the back for their superior moral compass and moved on. Thank you, Rob, for all your hard work. It may seem slow but I think you are making a difference. Congratulations, and take a much deserved vacation! I’m sure your subscribers would be ok with an empty inbox for a spell knowing that you are getting a well deserved rest.
You're overthinking it Rob.
The NYT is simply discriminating against you because you're politically incorrect and telling a counter cultural story that they do not want to elevate. NYT have always been class snobs and intentionally curate their bestseller selections to advance their preferred social narratives.
Regardless of that...congratulations of your impressive achievement. I'll finish listening to last 1.5 hours of my audio version today.
Jordan Peterson’s books, which had a stratospheric number of purchases, never made it to the NYT bestseller list. We wondered if the reason was that he was a Canadian. I think the answer is more obvious now. When is a bestseller not a bestseller? When it says something that the elites don’t want to hear about. Rejoice in being a real bestseller reaching thousands because you have something valuable to say. Three cheers from Canada!
Don't stress over the NYT list. It's skewed, and not a measure of a book's worth. Seth Godin, who has written tons of books that didn't all make the list, has a lot to say about it:
https://seths.blog/?s=New+York+Times+bestseller
Congratulations are in order
Why is the NYT even a thing anymore in 2024? The only draw of the Times is who left them (Bari Weiss, I will follow you anywhere!) so maybe we need to help them get over themselves and move on. You have helped me understand the whole "Best Seller" thing and although disillusioned, not surprised. Once again, you have helped me to move forward when choosing books to read...not pay attention to the NYT "Best" Sellers list, but continue to read books that are recommended by writers like you (keep up your recommendations!), other substackers that I read, and now the USA today, Publishers Weekly, and Bookshop lists.
Oh, and so unfair that you were so sick during this amazing "opening act" for your book's release, but really Rob, I am just not surprised....the Universe seems to keep wanting to give you "challenges" and like the old commercial (you are too young to have seen this classic ad campaign about a watch--NOT a Rolex etc.) "You take a lickin' but keep on tickin' "
“If lists literally just compiled the bestselling books of all time, it would never really change. You’d just see the Bible, Harry Potter, and the Britney Spears/Prince Harry/A-list celeb memoir every week.” Funny! :)
My hypothesis of why the Epstein sex-trafficking scandal was so easily ignored when it first broke a decade before he finally was held to account is similar to your thinking about "classification." In the same way our cultural gatekeepers aren't quite sure what to do with a book they can't classify as sustaining or contradicting "the narrative," everyone was terrified to look too carefully at the first Epstein bust because no one could be sure whether their favorite narrative characters might be implicated.
As a result, the only people willing to have an opinion on topics that don't have a clear narrative function or make clear contributions to one or another preferred narrative's inertia are those who feel free to make truthful commentary about objective reality and to declare with moral / ethical clarity, "This is wrong."
Increasingly, those people are a vanishing species.
I’m sorry your illness hit you at exactly the wrong time, but the good news is that you’re building your immune system and so will probably have fewer such episodes in the future. I had miserable cases of flu nearly every year in my 20’s but then at some point just quit getting sick.
I’m listening to your book now and am at the point where you just started to thrive in the military. You’ve been given a miraculous opportunity to tell your story and I’m glad you did. You are the ‘exception to the rule’ about how important families are. For every success like you there are thousands of failures.
Congrats. If there were ever a person deserving of success it is you. Stop pining for the NYT approval. It is their loss.
You definitely hustle. It shows you can't afford to just sit back and let things happen or hope for the best. Yes you care, you believe in your work and what you have to say and that comes through as authentic and bold.
I think you are on the WSJ’s best seller list as well. Not surprised about the NYT; they’ll move mountains to keep conservatives off it. I enjoyed the book throughly and have been spreading the word among family and friends about it. Congratulations, your success is richly deserved.
Go Rob GO! Watching this happen for you makes me feel healed of every step gone wrong in my own and only book launch of 2007. Thank you for sharing such candid, personal experiences.