Some call it voodoo, but editors trying to nudge a successful book onto the New York Times list are convinced that little things can matter. Staging author events that will generate sales, such as readings and signings, at stores reporting to the Times is an obvious step. Other tricks are more complicated. Conservatively reprinting a popular book so that orders build up at distributors who report to the Times can create the illusion of greater demand. This must be carefully finessed. Publishers don't want to be caught empty-handed if the book really takes off, so they often print lots of jackets (which take a long time to make) and then carefully schedule small reprints of the books so distributors are always slightly short.