Penguin Group (USA)
Kathryn Stockett's Debut Novel, The Help, Crosses 1 Million Copies Shipped Mark
One of the top book publishing success stories of 2009 continues to be Kathryn Stockett's debut novel, The Help, published by Amy Einhorn Books/ G. P. Putnam's Sons, with more than 1.2 million copies of the title in print through mid-December, after 43 printings, since an initial printing of 57, 300 in February. The first title on Amy Einhorn's debut list for Putnam is a great example of sales, marketing, publicity and subrights all working together to achieve outstanding results. USA Today named The Help its "Book of the Year" and earlier called The Help "the hot debut novel this summer." Publisher Amy Einhorn said, "There's a moment right now for this book. It's the tipping point where people are telling other people that they just need to read this." The Help is the longest-running New York Times bestseller on the hardcover fiction list, at #5 after 37 weeks, through December 27th. The author continues to draw huge crowds at events across America, as she speaks with book clubs, students and faculty. The book's international success also keeps growing; foreign rights have now been sold in 30 countries, an amazing achievement for a debut novel. The Help is also the highest rated audio book ever sold by Audible.com, one of the largest distributors of downloadable audio books, and a top seller in the eBook format.
Charlaine Harris Takes Paranormal Publishing to New Heights, with More Than 10 Million Copies of Her Southern Vampire Mystery Novels in Print
Ace author Charlaine Harris has become a true publishing phenomenon. Her entire Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery series — eight mass market paperbacks, plus the hardcover, Dead and Gone — has more than 10 million copies in print, and all of the titles in the series were on The New York Times bestseller lists in the same week twice this year. Harris also resurrected the "box set" format, with nearly 390,000 of Harris' seven-book box sets shipped and more than 160,000 of the newer eight-book box sets shipped. Harris's popularity grew at an explosive rate in 2009 and her readers continue to flock to her standing-room-only events. HBO's hit television series, "True Blood" (which is based on Harris' novels), continues to reach both viewers and readers everywhere. Ace published Harris' most recent book, A Touch of Dead, in October and it was an instant New York Times bestseller. And Harris' Harper Connelly mystery series made its first appearance on national bestseller lists when the latest installment, Grave Secret, hit The New York Times bestseller list, which marked the first hardcover New York Times bestseller for the Berkley Prime Crime imprint. Harris recently signed a new three-book deal with Penguin Group (USA), ensuring we will continue to publish her enormously popular paranormal mysteries well into the future.
Nora Roberts is "America's Favorite Author," with Ten New York Times Bestsellers, Half of Them Hitting #1 in 2009
This year Nora Roberts achieved ten New York Times bestsellers — five of the titles reaching #1. Her 2009 success story started in March when Putnam published Nora's J. D. Robb title, Promises in Death, which debuted at #1 on the New York Times hardcover fiction list. In April, Tribute, published by Jove, hit #1 on the mass market fiction list, followed a few weeks later by Berkley's Vision in White, Book One in Roberts' first trade paperback original series, knocking out The Shack, which had previously held the #1 spot on the trade paperback fiction list for 49 consecutive weeks. Vision in White also made Penguin Group (USA) history as its first trade paperback original with an initial printing of 1 million copies. Black Hills, from Putnam, hit #1 on the hardcover fiction list in July, and with this title, Nora achieved #1 New York Times bestsellers across all formats — hardcover, trade paperback and mass market — in 2009. Hats off to Penguin Group (USA)'s sales, marketing, publicity and production teams for making this feat possible, and for continuing to deliver all of Nora's books to market and taking them to the top of national bestseller lists. At the end of October, Berkley published Bed of Roses, the second title in Nora's Bride Quartet series, which, like Vision in White, hit #1 on the New York Times trade paperback fiction list, with an initial printing of more than 1 million copies. Most recently, a new Putnam title, Kindred in Death, with Nora writing as J. D. Robb, debuted at #3 on the New York Times hardcover fiction list. It's no surprise that The New Yorker hailed Nora Roberts as "America's favorite author."
Greg Mortenson's Three Cups of Tea Is an Enduring Publishing Franchise for All Ages, and Achieves Three Simultaneous #1 New York Times Bestsellers in the Same Week
Greg Mortenson's good works have continued to result in the building of more schools for children in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He has established or significantly supported 131 schools in rural and often volatile regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, which provide education to over 58,000 children, including 44,000 girls, where few education opportunities existed before. Greg's books also continue to inspire readers of all ages everywhere. His Three Cups of Tea franchise broke new publishing ground the week of May 24th, with three simultaneous #1 New York Times bestsellers in the same week, with three different editions: Three Cups of Tea (Penguin), Listen to the Wind (Dial), Three Cups of Tea: Young Readers Edition (Puffin). The Penguin trade paperback edition has shipped more than 3.5 million copies since its initial publication in February 2007, and has been a New York Times bestseller for nearly three years. The Puffin Young Readers edition, with more than 350,000 copies shipped since February, and the Dial picture book, Listen to the Wind: The Story of Dr. Greg and Three Cups of Tea, with more than 150,000 copies shipped since February, spent most the year on the New York Times children's bestseller lists. Mortenson's new book, Stones into Schools, was published in hardcover by Viking on December 1st, with an initial printing of 400,000.
Penguin Group (USA) Launches Two Seasons of "From the Publisher's Office"
Penguin Group (USA) launched two seasons of "From the Publishers Office" in 2009. The online network features brand-new programming in all nine series across its three multimedia channels. #1 New York Times bestselling Penguin authors Charlaine Harris, Tomie dePaola and T. A. Barron are among the stars of its Fall line-up. With over 150,000 page views since the first season launched in June, "From the Publisher's Office" has become a destination for readers who crave information about their favorite books and authors. In addition to offering all-new episodes of the continuing series, the Second Season presented three "Screening Room Specials" (including "Ten Essential Penguin Classics"). Every Tuesday, viewers will find new content and updates. New episodes for each of its series are released on a monthly or weekly basis. And new "From the Publishers Office" features include: the ability to sign up for e-mail newsletters or RSS feeds that allow users to receive notification when a new episode of their favorite show has been released, and syndication of the "Radio Room" and "Screening Room" series on YouTube and iTunes.