Broadscore is very simple, possibly silly, attempt to calculate a single, numeric representation of a book's critical reception.
Broadlist exists to help readers find good books. Broadscore is an effort to reduce that search to an absolute minimal effort.
A list weight is the term we use to describe the importance (or the reputation) of a list.
Every list that is added to Broadlist is assigned a list weight of one of the following:
Each weight is assigned a value (3 for heavy, 2 for normal, 1 for light).
A list placement is the term we use to describe where a book sits within a list. Every book added to every list on Broadlist is given a list placement of exactly one of the following:
There are some subjective editorial decisions that go into these categorizations, but in most circumstances the list placement is straightforward. Most lists will name a winner, and a shortlist, and a longlist.
Each placement is assigned a value (16 for a winner, 4 for a shortlist, 2 for a longlist, 1 for a verylonglist). We arrived at these numbers both systematically and arbitrarily, through some trial and error.
When these are not explicitly named, we usually follow these guidelines to assign a placement.
If no winner is named we will generally not assign a winner placement.
We will often infer a shortlist placement for lists that include 6 or fewer books.
We will often infer a longlist placement for lists that include between 7 and 20 books.
And we will often infer a verylonglist placement for lists that include more than 20 books.
And that's really everything.
Take a book. For each list that includes that book, multiply the list weight value by the list placement value. Add up those numbers and you've successfully calculated a broadscore.
Every list that is added to Broadlist is assigned a weight which is meant to represent its importance.
As an example: let's say I have blog (Matthew's Book Blog, perhaps) and each year I post a list of my favorite books. The post is titled something like Matthew's Favorite Books of 2024.
For our purposes here, a book has exactly one (1) list placement per list. Being assigned a winner placement does. Even though, logically, yes, the winner of a prize also made the longlist.
The idea here is that the book earns its broadscore value using its single, best (highest value) list placement.
Isn't this kind of made up and rather silly?
Maybe. Broadscore is almost certainly not the most accurate way to determine if a book is good. There will be lots of great books with a broadscore of exactly 0.
It aspires to be useful as a very fast way of determining if a book might be good.
We think it's more valuable at the high end - capturing books that win multiple awards, make multiple shortlists, and are critically relavent for a particular year.
A very blunt way to use broadscore: