<P> By the 1950s, The Times's list had become the leading best seller list for book professionals to monitor, along with Publishers Weekly . In the 1960s and 70s, mall - based chain bookstores B. Dalton, Crown Books, and Waldenbooks came to the forefront with a business model of selling newly published best - sellers with mass - market appeal . They used the best - selling status of titles to market the books and not just as a measure of sales; thus placing increased emphasis on the New York Times list for book readers and book sellers . </P> <P> The list is compiled by the editors of the "News Surveys" department, not by The New York Times Book Review department, where it is published . It is based on weekly sales reports obtained from selected samples of independent and chain bookstores and wholesalers throughout the United States . The sales figures are widely believed to represent books that have actually been sold at retail, rather than wholesale, as the Times surveys booksellers in an attempt to better reflect what is purchased by individual buyers . Some books are flagged with a dagger indicating that a significant number of bulk orders had been received by retail bookstores . </P> <P> The New York Times reported in 2013 that "we (generally do not) track the sales of classic literature," and thus, for example, new translations of Dante's Inferno would not be found on the bestseller list . </P> <P> The exact method for compiling the data obtained from the booksellers is classified as a trade secret . Book Review staff editor Gregory Cowles explained the method "is a secret both to protect our product and to make sure people can't try to rig the system . Even in the Book Review itself, we don't know (the news surveys department's) precise methods ." In 1992, the survey encompassed over 3,000 bookstores as well as "representative wholesalers with more than 28,000 other retail outlets, including variety stores and supermarkets ." By 2004, the number was 4,000 bookstores as well as an unstated number of wholesalers . Data is adjusted to give more weight to independent book stores, which are underrepresented in the sample . </P>

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