Colleen Hoover’s IT STARTS WITH US sold over 800,000 units in the US on its publication day, Tuesday, October 18, publisher Atria reported. That includes considerable pre-orders, along with sales across all major formats (print, ebooks, and digital audiobooks). Atria printed 2.5 million copies, across four printings, and said the book “was the most pre-ordered novel in Simon & Schuster history.” Update: NPD Bookscan subsequently recorded opening week sales of 809,000 hardcovers alone through the outlets that they track.
Archives for October 2022
Events: Doubleday 125th Anniversary
Doubleday will host a paid event to celebrate the imprint’s 125th anniversary, in-person in New York and via livestream. “This remarkable milestone spans the publications of DRACULA in 1897 to this year’s phenomenon LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY,” publisher and editor-in-chief Bill Thomas said. Six current Doubleday authors – Helen Ellis, David Grann, Kevin Kwan, Jane Mayer, Colson Whitehead and Hanya Yanagihara – will each read from a classic Doubleday title and discuss their respective publishing careers at Symphony Space. (Due to “scheduling conflicts,” Dan Brown and John Grisham — originally on the schedule — will not appear at the event.)
Cundill History Prize Finalists
The 2022 Cundill History Prize Finalists were announced. The winner will be announced on December 1 at the Cundill History Prize Festival.
B&N November Book Club Pick
The Barnes & Noble November Book Club Pick is The Cloisters by Katy Hays.
Initiatives: Electric Postcard Entertainment
Author and founder of kids and YA book packager Cake Creative Dhonielle Clayton will launch Electric Postcard Entertainment, an adult and YA packaging venture that will produce books, podcasts, film, and television with “darker themes and more ambitious narratives.” “Electric Postcard Entertainment opens doors for me to move into the adult and young adult crossover space with projects that continue our trademark blend of commerciality, diversity, and authenticity,” Clayton said. “I’m excited to be a launchpad for writers in this space and forge relationships with partners new and old to introduce more marginalized voices and exciting IP to the world.” In […]
NFTs in Publishing Face Audience, Contract, and Market Obstacles
On day two of the Penguin Random House antitrust trial that recently captivated all of publishing, agent Ayesha Pande was asked by the government to name some of the rights in publishing contracts that are non-negotiable. “Ebook is one of those rights and audio is one of those rights,” responded Pande. “Now the new territory that seems to be a little bit in contention is NFTs.” Though it was far from the trial’s flashiest moment, this exchange brought to the fore a question that has lingered at the fringes of the business for over a year now: what is the […]