Fiction Turnover
by Daisy Maryles -- Publishers Weekly, 8/19/2002
Five new fiction titles hit the chart this week—four of them in the top 10. One, a debut short story collection from Random House, You Are Not a Stranger Here, was a Today Show book club selection. The Doubleday/Nan Talese title has close to 110,000 copies in print.
Charging right to the top of the chart in its first week in the stores is Tom Clancy's Red Rabbit. That is the usual pace for this megaselling author, and Putnam launched his latest Jack Ryan thriller with a two-million-copy first printing. The author has drawn record-breaking crowds at all his book-signing stops (N.Y., Atlanta, L.A., Chicago and D.C.). At the Chicago State Street Borders, Clancy broke the store's record for crowd size. Bookseller Marc Moder said, "Clancy even beat Caroline Kennedy.... and that's pretty amazing in Democratic Chicago." Publicity included several radio satellite tours reaching more than 60 markets and a 22-city TV satellite tour. Last stop will be a Tom Clancy Night (August 23) at Camden Yards, home of the Baltimore Orioles, where he will throw the first pitch of the game and give away signed copies of the book.
Fannie Flagg lands in the #6 spot with Standing in the Rainbow, which enjoyed stellar reviews. She is finishing up 10-city tour (she drove herself in an old-fashioned bus to her Southern cities). Turnout was excellent, with one of the best crowds—more than 600—in Birmingham. While in town, she returned to her old job as weather girl on the local TV station. Random House reports 300,000 copies in print after three trips to press.
Partner in Crime author J.A. Jance is certainly a partner in helping to move her latest bestseller, #9 on PW's list this week. She is making stops in about 40 stores on her 22-city tour that goes through September 24. Copies in print total 125,000 after four trips to press and her publisher, Morrow, just concluded a new contract with agent Alice Volpe for her next two books.
John Jakes hits the #11 spot with Charleston; Dutton's first printing was 123,000, and back-to-press activity has brought that number up to 138,000. Jakes's earlier bestsellers, The Kent Family Chronicles, the North and South trilogy and The Crown Family Saga, can claim more than 50 million copies in print.
