Despite mixed reviews, Harper Lee’s Go Set a Watchman sold 1.1 million since its release on July 14, making it the fastest-selling book in HarperCollins's history. The publisher reported Monday morning that it has gone back to press for 1.3 million additional copies, bringing the in-print figure to 3.3 million. HC has also printed 150,000 Spanish-language copies.
The 1.1 million sales figure, which includes print and digital, puts the sales opening for Watchman on a par with Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey As Told By Christian, E.L. James's latest addition to her Fifty Shades trilogy, which was published by Penguin Random House's Vintage imprint late last month. It is worth noting, though, that Grey was released on a Thursday, while Watchman was published on a Tuesday.
Both Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million reported last week that Watchman was the fastest-selling adult fiction title in the history of both retailers.
In its news about the first week performance of Watchman, HC CEO Brian Murray said the novel "far exceeded our expectations.” He went on: “Bringing this book to market has been an amazing effort by thousands of people--from our publishing teams to booksellers large and small. We are thrilled to see readers responding to this historic new work from an iconic author like Harper Lee.”
