Small British Press Gets Boost from Oprah

by Rachel Deahl, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 5/7/2007

Cormac McCarthy isn't the only author lately who has Oprah Winfrey to thank for a sudden spike in sales. After U.K. psychologist Robert Holden appeared on Winfrey's show April 11, a deal was struck between U.S. distributor Trafalgar Square and British indie publisher Hodder Mobius to make one of Holden's titles, Happiness Now!, available for the first time in the U.S.

Trafalgar has ordered 25,000 copies of the book and is, according to publishing director Brooke O'Donnell, "working closely with Hodder to make [it] available almost immediately." Holden, who touts himself as a specialist in promoting positive thinking, will make a return appearance on Oprah May 9.

According to Beth Noonkester, at Trafalgar (which distributes many of Hodder's titles in the U.S.), the deal came about after people started calling the company requesting copies of Holden's book. When O'Donnell learned Holden would be making a second trip to Oprah's show, she closed the deal for the 25,000 copies.