A single television endorsement could multiply a book’s sales fifty-eight-fold.

Evidence

This, the “Oprah effect,” would always have its most dramatic influence in markets with relatively little advertising and marketing, like book publishing. In 1996, Winfrey launched what she called “the biggest book club in the world.” She would announce her selection and then give her viewers a month to read it. In the meanwhile, her producers would film the author at home and produce other B-roll footage for the eventual show about the book, featuring discussion, sometimes with an expert. Her first choice was The Deep End of the Ocean, by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Far from a dud, it had previously sold 68,000 copies; after its selection, however, it would sell four million. Within its first year, her book club had accounted for nearly 12 million volumes sold, making Oprah beloved of the publishing industry for her magic ability to turn modestly successful novels into bestsellers. — Tim Wu, The Attention Merchants, 798

Categorization

• XREF: The 68,000-to-4-million multiplier is a clean quantitative anchor for any discussion of influencer economics vs. the classic advertising model, connecting to the reader’s attention/surveillance platform research.