Taylor Swift effect sends orders for mystery book up the charts
The Guardian|May 11, 2023
The formula to a bestselling book is a mystery publishers have wrestled with for centuries. Now they may finally have their answer: encourage Taylor Swift fans to believe she may have written it.
Sian Cain
Taylor Swift effect sends orders for mystery book up the charts

An untitled book, known only as "4C Untitled Flatiron Nonfiction Summer 2023" by a yet-to-be-announced author has shot up sales charts in the US, after Swift fans pieced together clues and came to the conclusion that it could be a memoir by the 33-year-old singer, who is known for peppering her songs with "Easter eggs" that reward devout fans.

The mystery book from Flatiron, an imprint of Macmillan, is on preorder at $45 (£35) and has been in the top 10 of the Amazon book sales chart, rising as high as No 2. It is No 1 on Barnes & Noble's pre-orders chart.

The pre-order rush began when a document purported to be from Flatiron began circulating on social media, which said that the title and author would be revealed on 13 June. The book is also said to contain 544 pages while that would make for a hefty memoir, Swift's fans have noted that 5 + 4 + 4 = 13. Thirteen is -common knowledge among Swifties - the singer's lucky number.

This story is from the May 11, 2023 edition of The Guardian.

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This story is from the May 11, 2023 edition of The Guardian.

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