Posted by Mike Dennis on September 13, 2008 at 15:22:45 user MTD.
In Reply to: Re: Magic that books give us posted by Peter Ceresole on September 13, 2008 at 09:46:52:
Most of what any of us have to say on this will tend to be anecdotal. A quick search on the Internet has just told me the first print run of 'The Philosopher's Stone' by Bloomsbury was 500 copies (300 hardback and 200 paperback). Now, I would argue that the book was probably a hit with existing experienced readers and they recommended to other readers and so sales grew. Once she got a film deal then the media takes an interest (a 'rag to riches' story beloved of the tabloid press - single parent so poor she has to spend all day in a cafe to write her novel in an old exercise book etc etc) which leads to more sales to existing readers. And with each new volume the hype intensifies because once people are hooked on the series they want to know what happened next (I plead guilty - I looked at the last pages of the last book in a bookshop the day it came out as I wanted to know!). From my attempts at reading the first Rowling even I, with my appalling English, know that she is not a great writer as AR is. Sales does no make great writing or literature (just as audiences for TV and films do not make for greatness there too).
As for making 'new' readers I am still not convinced. I could just about read as a child when I started on Enid Blytons, then moved on to William and Jennings and then AR. Once I had started on AR I then sought out similar things (Malcolm Saville) and moved on to adult fiction.