Backlist Bedrock

By Sarah Yurch | January 28 2025 | FictionNonfictionBest in CategoryKids

Year after year, sales demonstrate that the breadth and diversity of our backlist is among our greatest strengths. While some of these books make their way back into headlines and onto bestseller lists, others sell steadily but fly largely under the radar.

So, when we talk about having a strong backlist, which books do we mean?

Having analyzed backlist sales over the past decade (2015 through 2024), consistency is the name of the game. Below are some of the titles that sell year after year and belong in every bookstore: the Backlist Bedrock.

To see a more complete list of the Backlist Bedrock, click here.

An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
9780735211292
The #1 New York Times bestseller. Over 20 million copies sold!Translated into 60+ languages!Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results
$27.00 US
Oct 16, 2018
Hardcover
Avery
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780399226908
THE all-time classic picture book, from generation to generation, sold somewhere in the world every 30 seconds! A sturdy and beautiful book to give as a gift for new babies, baby showers, birthdays, and other new beginnings!Featuring interactive die-cut pages, this board book edition is the perfect size for little hands and great for teaching counting and days of the week. "The very hungry caterpillar literally eats his way through the pages of the book—and right into your child's heart..." —Mother's Manual"Gorgeously illustrated, brilliantly innovative..."—The New York Times Book Review
$10.99 US
Mar 23, 1994
Board Book
World of Eric Carle
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780679805274
Oh the Places turns 25!
$18.99 US
Jan 22, 1990
Hardcover
Random House Books for Young Readers
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780140280197
Amoral, cunning, ruthless, and instructive, this multi-million-copy New York Times bestseller is the definitive manual for anyone interested in gaining, observing, or defending against ultimate control – from the author of The Laws of Human Nature. This is the only authorized paperback edition in the US. In the book that People magazine proclaimed “beguiling” and “fascinating,” Robert Greene and Joost Elffers have distilled three thousand years of the history of power into 48 essential laws by drawing from the philosophies of Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and Carl Von Clausewitz and also from the lives of figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to P.T. Barnum.   Some laws teach the need for prudence (“Law 1: Never Outshine the Master”), others teach the value of confidence (“Law 28: Enter Action with Boldness”), and many recommend absolute self-preservation (“Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally”). Every law, though, has one thing in common: an interest in total domination. In a bold and arresting two-color package, The 48 Laws of Power is ideal whether your aim is conquest, self-defense, or simply to understand the rules of the game.
$26.00 US
Sep 01, 2000
Paperback
Penguin Books
US, Canada, Open Mkt

9780394800165
This Dr. Seuss classic starring Sam-I-Am will have readers of all ages craving Green Eggs and Ham! The peel-off 60th Anniversary Sticker on the front cover makes it a perfect gift!
$9.99 US
Aug 12, 1960
Hardcover
Random House Books for Young Readers
US, Canada, Open Mkt

A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
9781878424310
The incredible New York Times and international bestselling guide to true happiness.“This book by don Miguel Ruiz, simple yet so powerful, has made a tremendous difference in how I think and act in every encounter.”—Oprah WinfreyA bestseller for over a decade, published in fifty-three languages wordwide,The Four Agreements, bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.“Don Miguel Ruiz’s book is a roadmap to enlightenment and freedom.”—Deepak Chopra, Author, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success“An inspiring book with many great lessons.”—Wayne Dyer, Author, Real Magic“In the tradition of Castaneda, Ruiz distills essential Toltec wisdom, expressing with clarity and impeccability what it means for men and women to live as peaceful warriors in the modern world.”—Dan Millman, Author, Way of the Peaceful Warrior
$12.95 US
Nov 07, 1997
Paperback
Amber-Allen Publishing
World