Bestseller Bytes
by Daisy Maryles, Religion BookLine -- Publishers Weekly, 6/18/2008
Several factors contributed to excellent sales performance in May for Joel C. Rosenberg's Dead Heat (its second month in the #2 spot on PW's monthly religion hardcover list) and Epicenter, back on the charts after a 10-month hiatus. He did several appearances with Glenn Beck on CNN and two days on the nationally syndicated Focus on the Family radio program. Rosenberg spoke directly to more than 85,000 people at events nationwide, and reached more than 15 million people through various other media. For example, in mid-May in Chino Hills, Calif., he lectured at a Strategic Perspectives Conference where about 5,000 people were in attendance, and he also spoke at three services at Calvary Chapel-Chino Valley—again, 5,000 people heard him. Also, several Christian retailers featured his books in special Father's Day promotions. Tyndale report about 262,450 copies in print for Epicenter after 11 printings; for Dead Heat, seven printings make for 203,400 books in print. Both titles will be out in paperback in September.
Dr. Kevin Leman's new book, Have a New Kid by Friday, includes an A–Z list (taking up close to half the book) that offers advice and action plans on more than 100 parenting topics—everything from bed-wetting to rolling eyes, talking back and punching walls. Revell reports more than 100,000 copies in print after four trips to press.
"Whoever you are and whatever your level of happiness, I invite you to step into greater joy. Live with more passion; laugh more; relax more; smile more; do more to make other people happy; and enjoy more. You'll be glad you did, and you will accomplish more because we are the most creative when we are the happiest."
—From Joyce Meyer's intro to The Secret to True Happiness; FaithWords announced a first printing of 500,000 copies. On her recent five-city tour, she drew 700–1,000 people at each venue.
A perennial religion bestseller (it's been on PW's bestseller list for at least eight years), Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis has sold more than 1.3 million copies since it was re-launched by HarperOne in 2001. The publisher is also the home to all of Lewis's nonfiction titles.
Terri Blackstock is launching a new Web site (www.terriblackstock.com) next month where fans will be able to subscribe to her newsletter and get updates about upcoming books. Zondervan reports close to 70,000 copies in print for Dawn's Light and estimates that her 25 books have sold some six million copies; about 2.5 million of those were sold in the Christian market. On her Web site, Blackstock says that she has disassociated herself from books she wrote under pseudonyms for the general market: "I wish I could gather them all up and destroy them, but I can't."
