Scholastic to print 10.8 million copies of 'Half-Blood Prince'
March 30, 2005 at 1:01 AM ET
Geri
HPANA (via USA Today)
scholastic, harry potter and the half-blood prince, half-blood prince
The publication of the sixth book in JK Rowling's ever-popular Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, will be the all-time-highest initial print run in history, U.S. publisher Scholastic announced
Tuesday.
At 10.8 million copies, that's four million more than the then-record-breaking initial print run for Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in 2003.
Barbara Marcus, president of Scholastic Children's Books said:
We know, based on past experience, that readers will want a copy the minute it goes on sale. We wanted to be ready so that every single child, every single person who started out with Harry Potter when it began and every family that wants multiple copies will be able to get them.
USA Today has a chart detailing the initial printing runs for each of the previous books and also the number of Harry Potter books currently in print.
UPDATE: There will also be a huge marketing plan associated with the book which will kick-off in April marking the 100 Day Countdown to Harry. Some of the activities include a multi-tiered national advertising campaign and a first-time ever Harry Potter crossword puzzle in The New York Times.