Last year, 22 annuals sold more than 50,000 copies in UK sales figures. The Doctor Who and The Beano annuals both cleared 200,000 while The Match annual, Horrid Henry and the Brats managed 100,000. However this year sales of all the above titles are down 20%.
However industry experts say this is down to some new kids on the block rather than the global money downturn. High School Musical, first time in annual format, has already clocked over 200,000 sales in the run up to Christmas.
The best selling UK annuals as of today are in order of highest seller first:
Disney's High School Musical
Doctor Who
The Beano
Top Gear
Ben 10
Hannah Montana
Horrid Henry
In The Night Garden
WWE
Match
The new Government backed pro-reading Campaign, Reading For Life will launch in Spring 2009. It follows on from the successful Year of Reading campaign. Check out details of the campaign at WWW.readingforlife.org.uk.
Friday 19th December will see the publication of The Watchman deluxe edition from Titan Books at £24.99. This hard back printing of the original graphic novel will feature bonus material not seen elsewhere.
The Tales of Beedle The Bard by J. K. Rowling sold 368,000 copies in its first three days. This is far short of the final Harry Potter which did an insane 2.65 million copies in its first 24 hours but an amazing showing all the same. It outsold it's nearest rival, The Guiness Book Of Records by five copies to one.
International top five books fiction:
Australia
1 Cross Country by James Patterson
2 Fishing for Stars by Bryce Courtenay
3 The Islands by Di Morrisey
4 The Private Patient by P d James
5 Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy
US
1 The Shack by William P Young
2 Cross Country by James Patterson
3 The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck
4 Divine Justice by David Baldacci
5 The Pagen Stone by Nora Roberts
South Africa
1 13 urr by Deopn Myer
2 The Shack by William P Young
3 Ena Murray Omnibus by Ena Murray
4 Rouge by Danielle Steele
5 Cross Country by James Patterson
UK
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6 comments:
Interesting to see James Patterson in at number 3 in view of comments in previous post.
Haven't got around to reading Martina Cole's 'The Business' as yet. Despite being an award winner I didn't like 'The Take'. Pity 'The Know' didn't pick up an award - maybe, it was the subject (child prostitution) that put people off.
Yes, will be very interesting to see how the No:1 spot develops after the final run-up to Christmas.
Patterson's 'Cross Country' was published last month, (Nov), the two higher placed books the month prior to that, so a slight head start to the Xmas sales for them.
As for Martina Cole, she has a very high proportion of loyal female readers - I met some recently - scary; never met such a bunch of ferousiously obsessive devotees. Eyes wide in defiance almost daring you to say anything remotely dismissive - as if I would.
With that in mind, Cole could hold the No:1 position all the way to Xmas. Especially as some, (but not many), fans/readers have expressed disappointment with the latest Patterson offering. Ironic really as I believe it's that rarest of rare birds - on this occasion actually written in its entirety by Patterson himself!
It's like James Reasoner mentioned in the previous thread - he tells of complaints made about the quality of work by some well known authors with a penchant for hiring 'co-authors'. Ironic really as James goes on to point out, the book in question is all the work of the author concerned.
One of the pitfalls of hiring talented hired-help I suppose; there's always the danger they can end up surpassing the master's own work.
Danny - I've never met a Martina Cole fan. She is an interesting writer in as much that I feel that she writes with male readers in mind. For all her output I have only kept two of her books - 'The Know' and 'Faceless'.
Originally, I bought her books for the wife because they sounded like the work of Gilda O'Neill and wound up reading them myself.
Ray - I remember Martina's first book deal and a friend of mine was with the same publishing house (Headline) and he was livid about her massive advance and said the publisher's would never get it back. Shows how wrong he was.
I've never read any but my girlfriend loves her.
Hello ARCHAVIST
First of all,many,many,thanks for your kind answer.
Then,I am a tremendous ignorant of books,with some exceptions,portugueses books,of course.
But,as You Know,a portuguese writer,EÇA DE QUEIRÓS,that stay in UK around 20 years,as consul,first, in Newcastle-upon-Tyne,then ,in Bristol,wrote several books,one of them THE MAIAS,translated by Margaret Jull Costa,winner of two prizes this year,and that is in Top Ten of Dedalus Books. Behind this,other are seen in the titles of many libraries of the world,english or not. The Maias,of Margaret,is in the more important USA university libraries,such as Harvard,Princeton,Yale,Bradfod,etc,also,in Congress Library,and also in UK,Oxford,Cambridge,Kings College,Bitish Library,etc.
Excuse me this,but this has a clear meaning,entirely forgiven at your compreensive mind,surely.
Good health,lots of ideas for writing new books,and,again,my many
excuses for all this trouble that I cause to you,if you was patient enough to arrive hare.
MSG - You're most welcome and keep reading the archive.
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