Behind the Bestsellers
by Daisy Maryles -- 2/1/99
ARTHUR'S STILL GOLDEN
One of 1998's more enduring hardcover bestsellers is evidently getting ready to take up residence on the trade paperback lists, as Arthur Golden's Memoirs of a Geisha debuts today in the #3 spot -- while the Knopf edition marks week #60 on our fiction list. According to Susie Leness, assistant director of publicity at Vintage, paperback publication was delayed three months "because of the incredible success of the hardcover." National laydown date for the acclaimed memoir-as-novel was January 19; after four printings, there are 450,000 copies. Golden, who's in the midst of a 16-city tour that stretches out for four months, has appeared on Good Morning America Sunday, with numerous other features to come. In an unusual promotional "extra," Absolut Vodka's advertisement for January was "Absolut Golden," based on Memoirs and featuring an original text by its author. Also, Leness noted, Madonna has talked up the book on Entertainment Tonight and Larry King Live; the Material Girl claims that her next video will be based on Golden's central character, Hatsumomo.
ELMORE, KAREN SCORE A DOUBLE
New titles from two Dell/Delacorte authors, both launched on January 12, are debuting on our lists: Elmore Leonard's Cuba Libre takes the #13 mass market spot and Karen Robards lands in the #11 hardcover fiction position with The Midnight Hour. Author Karen Robards has penned 23 historical and contemporary works of women's fiction, 12 of which have been published by Dell. First printing for her latest, which has also hit the Wall St. Journal and USA Today lists, was 75,000. Dell/Delacorte publicity director Carisa Hays said, "Everyone at Delacorte is delighted to see Karen climbing bestseller lists across the country."Hays noted that Dell's publicity efforts for Leonard's Cuba Libre (copies in print: 550,000) will be tied in with the publication of his forthcoming Delacorte hardcover, Be Cool, which g s on sale February 9 -- also the launch date for the author's Web site (www.elmoreleonard.com). For his 35th book (a sequel to Get Shorty), Leonard will embark on a 10-city tour that will include a number of book signings and major media appearances (already set are Good Morning America, Charlie Rose, NPR's Fresh Air, etc.). Print coverage will include Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, Elle, Esquire and more. Can a movie deal be far behind? SARAH PLAYS A WEIGHTING GAME
Though it's not in the realm of royalty, Sarah Ferguson can now add "bestselling author" to her list of titles. The highly visible Weight Watchers spokesperson lands on our nonfiction list with Dieting with the Duchess, which combines her ladyship's personal story with a nutritional, exercise and behavioral plan devised by Weight Watchers. The Simon &Schuster title was launched on January 15 with a full hour on Oprah; subsequent appearances have included Today, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, The Tonight Show and a 20-city TV satellite tour. The duchess has also been featured in Harper's Bazaar, Parade and the Star; still to come are features in Glamour and Ladies' Home Journal. Crowds in the hundreds turned out for signings in N.Y., L.A., Chicago and Minneapolis; many of Fergie's fans, noted the publisher, bought multiple copies. After three trips back to press, there are 118,000 copies in print.
ROBIN COOKS AGAIN
Twenty years after the publication of his breakthrough novel, Coma, Robin Cook is still striking fear into readers' hearts with his timely tales of medical malfeasance. The good doctor's latest is evidently no exception: Toxin deals with the headline-grabbing topic of contaminated meat. The Berkley February release, which boasts 1,215,000 copies in print after two trips to press, zooms up our mass market list from its #15 debut last week to today's fifth spot.
--With reporting by Dick Donahue.Back To Bestsellers
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