Meyer Leads Hachette Again

By Jim Milliot -- Publishers Weekly, 5/13/2009 7:10:00 AM

Lagardere’s publishing subsidiary, Hachette Book Group, reported worldwide sales of 462.8 million euros ($627 million at current exchange rates) in the first quarter, a 11.9% increase over 2008; excluding currency fluctuations sales were up 14.1%. The gains were led by sales of Stephenie Meyer titles not only in the U.S., but in the U.K. and France as well. Since the start of 2009, Meyer’s books have sold more than 18 million copies worldwide. In the U.S., The Shack and Outliers have also continued to sell well into the new year. Lagardere was however, a bit guarded about prospects for the remainder of 2009 for Hachette, noting that while the publishing group is ahead of budget for the first quarter, “comparatives will be much less favorable in the second half.”