Methodology, Mission, and More

Methodology

The BLK Bestsellers are compiled using monthly U.S. print book sales data provided by Circana BookScan, the publishing industry's leading source for retail book sales data.

The BLK Bestsellers are published on the second Thursday of each month and reflect sales from the preceding Circana BookScan reporting period. Because Circana's reporting periods do not always align with calendar months, we've published the BLK Bestsellers List Calendar showing the exact dates covered by each monthly bestseller list.

Each monthly BLK Bestsellers list ranks the top 20 books across eight categories: Adult Fiction (Hardcover and Paperback), Adult Nonfiction (Hardcover and Paperback), Juvenile Fiction, Juvenile Nonfiction, Young Adult, and Poetry. A companion report featuring the top 50 titles, including sales figures, is available to reporting booksellers and publishers who have access to bookscan.

Because the publishing industry does not maintain a definitive source identifying authors by race or ethnicity, AALBC determines eligibility through a combination of BISAC subject classifications, publisher metadata, and independent editorial research.

We continue to work with publishers, authors, and industry organizations to improve the quality and availability of author identity metadata while maintaining accurate and transparent rankings.

Despite our best efforts, occasional omissions may occur. If a qualifying bestseller is inadvertently excluded from a published list, the editor will determine whether a revision is warranted based on the significance of the omission and the integrity of the historical record. In all cases, the title will be tracked and considered for inclusion in future BLK Bestsellers lists.

Mission

The mission of the Black Book Accelerator is to strengthen the Black book ecosystem and measurably increase overall stakeholder revenue.

The BLK Bestseller list not only celebrates cultural representation but also influences market trends, empowers readers to support Black literature, and inspires emerging Black writers by showcasing successes that might not have otherwise received recognition.

Our Team

The Black Book Accelerator is guided by a dedicated volunteer leadership team—each member a seasoned publishing professional with decades of industry experience. Learn more about us ▶

Download the BLK Bestseller Medalion

Congratulations to our BLK Bestselling authors and publishers! You are encouraged to download these official seals to display on your book covers, marketing materials, and website to showcase your achievement.

Blackness

The primary requirement for inclusion on the bestseller list is that the author self-identifies as Black or African American. We respect and uphold individuals’ self-proclaimed racial and ethnic identities.

For our definition of “Black or African American,” we refer to the U.S. Census Bureau’s classification. This includes individuals with ancestral roots in any of the Black groups of Africa. It encompasses those who identify as “African American” as well as those who associate with more specific African ethnic groups, such as Nigerian, Afro-Cuban, Ethiopian, or Somali.

While we have established these criteria to highlight and promote authors of Black and/or African American descent, we recognize the vast diversity within this community. We are committed to ensuring that our selections reflect a broad spectrum of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives. We also acknowledge that definitions and categorizations evolve over time.

We include books illustrated by Black artists, even if the author is not Black. Books written by multiple authors are considered if at least one of the authors is Black.

FAQs

• Q: Couldn’t this information be used for bad purposes? A: Yes, but we think the good outweighs the bad, and to do nothing is to reinforce the status quo, which is unacceptable.
• Q: Don’t you think continuing to focus on race is a problem? Suppose someone published a list of the bestselling white writers; wouldn’t that be racist? A: The purpose of this list is to address historical and systemic disparities by celebrating the most commercially successful books written by Black writers — whose work deserves more attention.
• Q: What about authors who identify as Latino, Asian, LGBTQ+, etc.? A: We hope our work can serve as a model for similar efforts within other communities. We welcome collaboration and are happy to share our insights with those seeking to elevate underrepresented voices.

Contact

If you are an author, agent, or publisher and believe a particular author is missing from this list or should be removed, please contact troy@aalbc.com.

If you represent an organization interested in collaborating to improve how data on author identity is shared within the industry, please reach out to troy@aalbc.com.