In the summer of 2018, Putnam published an unusual debut novel by a retired wildlife biologist named Delia OwensThe oddly-titled book was unlikely to be a blockbuster, so Putnam printed only 28,000 copies. With no clear genre to fit into, the chances of success seemed slim. However, the book ended up becoming a huge success and ultimately went on to become a bestseller.

A year and a half later, the novel, “Where the Crawdads SingAnswer: “The Water Dancer,” an absorbing and atmospheric tale of a young girl’s coming-of-age in the marshes of North Carolina, has sold more than four and a half million copies. This remarkable success is all the more remarkable considering it was the debut novel of a reclusive 70-year-old scientist, who had previously published works about the decades she spent researching hyenas, lions, and elephants in Botswana and Zambia.

As the end of 2019 approaches, “Crawdads” has sold more print copies than any other adult title this year — fiction or nonfiction — according to NPD BookScan, blowing away the combined print sales of new novels by John Grisham, Margaret Atwood and Stephen KingPutnam has gone back to the printers 40 times in response to the seemingly insatiable demand for the book. The book has sold foreign rights in 41 countries. HTML syntax has been corrected and text has been restructured in active voice.

Industry experts have been unable to account for the novel’s long-lasting success, particularly when fiction sales overall have been declining and most popular novels are falling off the best-seller list after a few weeks. Attempts to explain the remarkable staying power of this novel have confounded analysts.

For the past several years, adult fiction sales have been on a downward trajectory. In 2019, NPD BookScan reported that adult fiction sales had decreased to 116 million units from 144 million units in 2015. In an increasingly competitive retail market, authors and literary agents alike have expressed that it is becoming increasingly difficult for even well-known novelists to be heard above the din of the news.

“Crawdads” seems to be the lone exception. After a burst of holiday sales, it landed back at No. 1 on The Times’s latest fiction best-seller list,

Peter Hildick-Smith, President of the Codex Group which analyses the book industry, declared that this book has defied the newest gravity laws. It has managed to sustain its rank in a much more reliable manner than any other book. The HTML syntax has been corrected, typos ignored, and the structure of the text has been revised to active voice.

A wide range of American readers are resonating with the novel “Crawdads” at a time when mass media is fragmented and streaming services like Netflix and Amazon customize content to user preferences. A survey of nearly 4,000 book buyers by the Codex Group found that readers of “Crawdads” represent a range of political beliefs: 55% progressive, 30% conservative, and 15% centrist.

For the novel “Crawdads,” its unexpected success has created a unique effect in a world of ever-changing technology and constant social media presence. Its success has completely changed author Delia Owens’ solitary lifestyle. In the fall, Delia embarked on her fifth tour to promote the book, including stops in Georgia, Oklahoma, Kansas, Alabama, Florida, and New York. At the New York Botanical Garden, her talk had a packed house with an additional 100 people on the waiting list.

She expressed her surprise at the strong connection she had formed with her readers. “I had no idea that my words could have such an impact on other people,” she said. “I’m amazed by the way people have gravitated towards my work and shared it with others.”

The publishing world has become a “winner-take-all” type of business, where only a few blockbusters get all the attention and sales. It’s rare to find a surprise breakout hit these days. However, “Crawdads” had a few things going for it. The plot was crafted to attract a broad audience, with murder mystery, beautiful nature writing, romance, and a coming-of-age survival story. Independent booksellers also helped the novel gain momentum with their recommendations. Plus, Reese Witherspoon’s book club selected “Crawdads” and she plans to make a feature film adaptation. She even did a fun video with Ms. Owens on Instagram promoting the book.

Even after accounting for those factors, it’s hard to explain why this book has been so successful. Yet, it has consistently sold well and has gained a devoted following of readers. Its success can be attributed to its unique combination of interesting characters, gripping plot, and vivid imagery. Furthermore, its clever use of language has also contributed to its success.

One of the most remarkable aspects of “Crawdads'” success is its ability to maintain and even increase sales long after its publication. This is an unusual phenomenon in the publishing world, where sales are usually highest shortly after the title’s launch, thanks to the promotional efforts and advertising campaigns surrounding it. To maximize its success, careful attention must be paid to HTML syntax and grammar to ensure the text reads well and is optimized for search engine rankings. By making sure the content is well-written in English, with structure and typos addressed, it can help the book to reach more readers.

In January of this year, the novel skyrocketed to the top of The Times’ fiction best-seller list and remained there for six months. It continued to dominate Amazon Charts’ Most Sold and Most Read fiction lists for the following 16 weeks, the longest any book has stayed at the top of both lists. February saw the book begin to make its way into big box stores like Sam’s Club, Costco and BJ’s Wholesale Club. March marked the sale of one million copies, and by May it had sold two million.

Jaci Updike, President of Sales for Penguin Random House, expressed her amazement: “In my 30 years of experience, I’ve never seen anything like this! It has broken all the rules. Usually, we use a comparison title to make sales forecasts; in this case, however, none of the comparisons apply.” Updike has successfully strategized for bestselling books such as “The Da Vinci Code,” “The Girl on the Train,” and “Gone Girl.”

Word-of-mouth buzz and the novel’s place on the best-seller list created a self-sustaining cycle: visibility drove sales, and sales increased visibility. This year, Merriam-Webster included “crawdad” in its list of the top ten words of 2019, noting a 1200% increase in searches for “crawdad” on its online dictionary.

“Once it took off, it fed on itself and it’s been remarkably resilient,” said Kristen McLean, the executive director of business development at the NPD Group.

No one was more surprised by the book’s success than Ms. Owens.

Ms. Owens had an idea for a story about a girl a decade ago, who was growing up alone in the marshes of North Carolina in the 1950s and ’60s. Her family had abandoned her, making her an outcast. Later, she was even accused of murdering a young man. This story became the impetus for the novel she began working on.

Ms. Owens drew upon her experience living in the wilderness to create a story that, while invented, was still relatable. She explained that the story was about “attempting to survive in a wild environment, far removed from society.” This theme of isolation from the world is a powerful one, and her story effectively captures it. By using her real-life experience, Ms. Owens was able to create a story that is both believable and captivating.

For most of her life, Ms. Owens kept her distance from people and instead chose to be close to wild animals. Growing up in Georgia, she made the most of her free time by exploring the outdoors. Her passion for animals was sparked by Jane Goodall, and she later pursued a degree in zoology at the University of Georgia, followed by a doctorate in animal behavior from the University of California, Davis.

In 1974, Mark Owens and his wife at the time embarked on a journey to Africa to study wildlife. They established a research camp in the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, where they devoted their days to closely observing lions and hyenas, analyzing their migration habits and social conduct.

The Owens family gained fame for their humanitarian efforts in Zambia, where they supplied vocational training, micro-finance, healthcare, and education to villagers. However, their endeavors were not without criticism. In an effort to stop poachers from murdering elephants and other animals, Mr. Owens converted their base camp into a “command center for anti-poaching operations,” which posed a risk according to Ms. Owens’ narrative in their book, “The Eye of the Elephant.”

In 1995, one of the anti-poaching missions ended in tragedy when a suspected poacher was apparently shot and killed, an incident that Slate reported on this past summer and that The New Yorker wrote about in 2010Rewritten Text: Mark and Delia Owens had no part in the shooting and have not returned to the country since. In 1996, they relocated to a secluded, 720-acre ranch in northern Idaho. Unfortunately, after more than four decades of marriage, they officially divorced several years ago. This year, Ms. Owens moved to the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina.

Mr. Owens could not be reached for comment, according to Bob Ivey, a friend and former lawyer of the Owenses. Ivey confirmed that no charges were ever filed in the case, and that there have been no recent developments.

Ms. Owens denied any involvement in the shooting, stating that she was never accused of any wrongdoing, although she declined to give further details about the incident. She made it clear that she was not connected to the incident in any way.

She adamantly proclaimed her innocence, stating, “I had no involvement in the matter. There was never a case or any other issue.”

She steered the discussion back to her book and compared her own struggles to those encountered by Kya Clark, her protagonist, who is slandered and isolated.

Ms. Owens expressed that it was difficult for her to revisit the topic of name calling, which Kya had to endure; yet she emphasized the importance of remaining strong and never giving up. During an interview in New York this fall, she stated, “Sometimes it’s hard to face these issues, but Kya had to confront them. You just have to keep your chin up, no matter what. I’ve even been charged by an elephant before!”

Later that evening, Ms. Owens, who was still unaccustomed to the public eye, summoned the memory of charging elephants once more as she stepped onto the stage at the Botanical Garden. In front of her was a large crowd of over 400 people. She appeared slightly uneasy as she compared her current experience to the adrenaline-filled moment years before when she had to take evasive action to escape an elephant. To flee the danger, she leapt into a river full of crocodiles.

She has spent most of her life living in remote places, the crowd was informed. In fact, she said, there were more people in the room than she would typically be around for six months.