This Could Be Fern's Year
by Daisy Maryles -- Publishers Weekly, 3/26/2001
Kensington is sure that Plain Jane by Fern Michaels is its first fiction hardcover to appear on PW's list, and the house is almost sure that it is the author's first hardcover bestseller (many of her earlier books were published by other houses). The book is an in-house favorite and was launched with a 120,000 first printing; a second printing takes the in-print figure to 126,000. Marketing efforts included full-color advance reading copies at all the fall regional shows, mailings to all accounts and two weeks of TV advertising in selected markets on Oprah, The View and Rosie O'Donnell. Two months ago, Michaels hit the mass market charts with Yesterday and plans are to release two more paperbacks this year—Charming Lily on April 3 and What You Wish For on July 3, followed by another hardcover, Kentucky Rich, in October. Before the end of 2001, Kensington is hoping to be able to brag about Michaels's five bestsellers in one year.
