Knopf spokesman Paul Bogaards indicates that the third and final book in Stieg Larsson’s bestselling trilogy, THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST, had estimated first-day unit sales (in print and digital combined) in excess of 250,000 units. Two reprints just ordered will bring them up to 900,000 copies in print, as Bogaards celebrates that “we finally have a book that is driving traffic into stores…. The hope is that Larsson will prompt other sales, especially as the summer lists from publishers across the board look very strong – with standout work coming from Justin Cronin, Bret Easton Ellis, Samantha Bee, Jennifer Egan, among others.”
Bogaards adds that Larsson’s paperbacks are up 150 percent over last week, when they were already selling 30,000 units (print and digital) daily.
Separately, Crown announced that the sixth and final novel in Jean Auel’s Earth’s Children Series will publish worldwide on March 29, 2011.