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Corporate: Opening Sales of Over 1 Million for Wimpy Kid, and PRH Launches Audio App

November 13, 2014
By Michael Cader

Abrams reports another strong opening week of sales for the latest Jeff Kinney book, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: THE LONG HAUL. CEO Michael Jacobs says in the release sales “out of the gate have been exceptional and are accelerating briskly.  Already more than 1 million copies have sold in the first seven days. He adds, “Our strategy of releasing the new book simultaneously in all the English language territories has shown the global power of Jeff’s books. With eight more countries set to publish The Long Haul before the end of the year, we’re confident that Diary of a Wimpy Kid will be number #1 right around the world.”

In another baby step towards independence for digital audio (following Scribd’s incorporation of audiobooks in their subscription plan), Penguin Random House Audio has launched an app called Volumes in the iTunes App Store. The free app “offers readers and listeners the opportunity to discover and sample new audiobooks directly on their devices, as well as enjoy free audiobook downloads (the first is Lewis Carroll’s classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, narrated by Jim Dale) and extended audio excerpts from bestselling authors like Jodi Picoult and Sophie Kinsella.” The app connects to the iBooks Store for one-click purchases of the full audiobooks.

In personnel news, Rachel Lodi has joined Penguin Young Readers as associate digital publicist. Previously she was a marketing assistant at Palgrave Macmillan.

At Macmillan, Leigh George has been promoted to associate manager, international ebooks.

Filed Under: Audio, Free, New Releases/Forthcoming, Personnel

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