550,000 COPIES SOLD ITS FIRST DAY:
CHRISTOPHER PAOLINI’S BRISINGR ACHIEVES BIGGEST ONE-DAY SALE IN
RANDOM HOUSE CHILDREN’S BOOKS HISTORY
September 23, 2008 (New York, NY)—On its first day on sale, BRISINGR, Book Three in Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance cycle, sold 550,000 hardcover copies, making it the greatest one-day sale ever recorded for a Random House Children’s Books title, hardcover or paperback, it was announced today by Chip Gibson, Random House Children’s Books, President and Publisher.
BRISINGR was published by Random House’s Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers imprint in the U.S. and Canada on September 20th with a first printing of 2.5 million copies, the largest first-print run in the
publisher’s history.
The first day’s sales for BRISINGR are four times that of Eldest, the second novel in Paolini’s Inheritance cycle, which was published in August 2005.
The publisher reports that the hardcover sales are strong in every region of North America and in all channels of distribution, including independent retailers, bookstore chains, and mass merchandisers.
“We are thrilled with the first day’s sale of BRISINGR: the numbers have far surpassed our projections,” commented Mr. Gibson. “We are grateful to booksellers everywhere for this incredible success and look forward with them to continued sales of the Inheritance cycle books throughout the fall and into the holiday season.”
BRISINGR was also released simultaneously in the U.S. and Canada as an audiobook by Random House’s Listening Library audio division. Initial reports indicate that sales for the audiobook as well as the BRISINGR ebook are also strong.
The first-day sales have also broken all records for Random House Children’s Books in the UK, where it was published simultaneously. “BRISINGR is by far and away the fastest-selling book we’ve ever published and we’re delighted with the first weekend’s sales,” commented Helen Randles, RHCB UK Sales Director.
Paolini kicked off a ten-city book tour in New York City over the past weekend and he will be meeting fans in Toronto, Washington, DC, Miami, Detroit, Chicago, Austin, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles over the coming weeks.
Eragon, the first book in the series, has sold 6 million copies in hardcover and paperback in North America since its initial release in August 2003 and the second book, Eldest (2005) has sold 4 million copies. Both books have also been international sensations: there are 50 foreign-language licenses for the Inheritance cycle and together Eragon and Eldest have sold over 15.5 million copies worldwide.
Paolini will write a fourth book to conclude the Inheritance cycle. A publication date has not yet been planned.
Related Link: http://www.publishersweekly.com/article/CA6598359.html?desc=topstory
