Hachette USA Has “Rapid Pace” Growth

-- Publishers Weekly, 7/25/2008 7:53:00 AM

Revenue at Lagardere Publishing rose 1.3% in the first six months of 2008, to 908 million euros, parent company Lagardere reported. The overall increase was negatively impacted by currency exchanges with the dollar, but Hachette Book Group USA nevertheless turned in a strong performance, with sales increasing at a “rapid pace” in the second period, the company said. James Patterson and Stephenie Meyer continued to be the key authors for the house.

In other areas, the U.K. had a “highly satisfaction quarter” led by bestsellers and children’s books. Education sales were up in Spain, while in France Larousse and Hatier sales were up, but literature sales were down.

For the second half, Lagardere expects publishing to have a strong finish, particularly for education in Spain and fiction in the U.S.