midlist

adj

1. (not-comparable)Unlikely to be more than modestly successful.

   “He scoffs at the lesser-known, midlist and emerging authors […].”

2. (attributive, not-comparable)Expected to achieve sales performance that blends frontlist performance with backlist performance, being neither a bestseller when new nor a perennial backlist performer but strong enough in each of those categories to be successful overall.

   “The celebrity tell-all has been proposed as a frontlist title, whereas the cookbook has been proposed as a backlist title and the food history book as a midlist title.”