All the Buzz
by Daisy Maryles -- Publishers Weekly, 6/9/2003
Penguin is boasting about two of its trade paperback bestsellers. The current list topper, The Secret Life of Bees—18 weeks on our list, with half that tenure in the #1 slot—has 980,000 copies in print after eight trips to press; first printing was 200,000 copies.
In This Mountain by Jan Karon has 400,000 copies in print. Since the author isn't touring for the paperback, the publisher came up with an innovative promotion. At 14 "Mitford Fund-raising" occasions nationwide, the local retailer and a local church partner for an event, with monies raised going to a local charity. The events will be promoted in church sermons and bulletins, and Penguin's support includes a "Celebrate Mitford" banner, handbills announcing the event and a $300 tea set to be raffled off, along with signed copies of In This Mountain and Karon's new children's book, The Trellis and the Seed. There's also a personalized video of Karon thanking the organization and store, and talking about her books and latest activities.
With reporting by Dick Donahue
