Monday, August 04, 2008

breaking records

The wait for the latest in the new TWILIGHT series is over...

And BREAKING DAWN is breaking records for its publisher.

The Hachette Book Group estimates 1.3 million copies were sold on Saturday after being released at 12:01 a.m. It was its largest first-day sales record. In anticipation of demand, an additional 500,000 copies were printed before publication, bringing the total to 3.7 million.
1.3 million copies of the SAME book were sold in 1 day.

Holy Royalties, Batman!

But, according to the article, those numbers can't even touch the first 24 hours of HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS' sales.
Last July, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows sold 8.3 million books in its first 24 hours on sale
8.3 MILLION?

Excuse me while I daydream for a moment...

Okay, back now.

For me, the kind of breakout that both Rowling and Meyer have had, are simultaneously a dream come true and scary as hell.

We all dream of big sell throughs and multiple print runs. And yes, I'll admit, I've dreamed of midnight bookstore parties. But I'll be honest, the pressure that comes with that kind of success is just a bit frightening.

Not just the pressure from the publishing house and the fans. But the pressure that I would put on myself. It would not be pretty.

What do you think? Sure we all want to make it big, but are you worried that a huge success is a double-edge sword? Would you be afraid you would disappoint your fans, your publisher or, even worse, yourself? Would the pressure be too much for you, or would you deal just fine--after all, that's why they pay you the big bucks!

I'll tell you one thing...I'd like to find out for sure what my reaction would be... :D

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CONGRATS AGAIN TO POODLE649 FOR WINNING THE BAG OF BOOKS!

10 comments:

  1. I'm happy with the slow build although more sales would be lovely.

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  2. I want a steady career...but sometimes my daydreams do get the best of me...

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  3. oh...I think I could handle a big slice of success. As long as you keep your sense of humor. I think. Maybe.

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  4. Here is the thing. I don't think you can plan for that kind of success. And I don't think you can anticipate your reaction when you reach it. You sort of have to keep pinching yourself and praying it's real.

    As for Stephanie and J.K. I have to wonder, will their next series be as popular? How do you top Twilight and Harry Potter? That has to be scary as hell too!

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  5. Anonymous2:00 PM

    I don't know...I think I could handle it. LOL!

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  6. Yes, but I've heard many fans are OMGWTF??!?! Everyone I know who's finished Breaking Dawn hated it.


    After the breakout of Twilight, that's got to be a tremendous amount of pressure, in my opinion. To produce quality books to meet the demand of your audience. Of course, my love for the books decreased with each release, which was disappointing considering how much I loved Twilight.

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  7. That is just rhinestone encrusted insanity!!!! Of course, I pre-ordered and hope the #$%& book is on my desk at work when I get there tomorrow. Huge congrats to Stephanie Meyer for the level she's reached.

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  8. I could totally handle that kind of fame. From my private island.

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  9. Oh, the pressure would be immense--but the bank account would also be immense, and yes, I could handle that :-)

    I ultimately feel badly for Stephenie Meyer. She built a legion of fans with Twilight, and it seems the next three books got steadily worse reviews. I just hope my next two books after my debut don't go that way...

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  10. Man, that's insane. I can't even imagine being in those ladies' shoes!! LOL

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