This was something that I knew nothing about until I came across the Tiktok videos of publishing house business analyst Bryan the Business Analyst (@bryantheba on Tiktok). These videos by Bryan explained a phenomenon that I never knew about but that is very acknowledged and followed amongst the publishing world — the “dagger of death”. If you are a book lover like me or a writer, I would absolutely recommend you check out this Tiktok page if you are interested in hearing more about the drama, intrigue, and fascinating life and times of the publishing industry.
The dagger of death is a name that is given to this symbol (†) which appears beside some books on the New York Times Bestseller List. Having your book top the charts as a New York Times Bestseller is a very prestigious claim for any author. It can be a game changer and a large driver for any future sales, providing word-of-mouth praise for your book.