Book sales at Rodale for the third quarter ended September 30 were up 30%, with retail sales jumping 194% and direct response sales up 10%, the privately held company reported last week. Retail gains were led by the phenomenal success of The South Beach Diet, now in its 22nd printing. South Beach will have five million copies in print by the end of the year.
The title also played a role in driving up sales in the direct-response division, Rodale said, with sales via the direct channel approaching 300,000. Denise Austin's Shrink Your Female Fat Zones has also sold well through direct response, as have two titles Rodale is distributing for other publishers: The Cake Mix Doctor (Workman) has sold 204,000 copies, while Heloise Around the House (Penguin) has sold 109,000 copies.
In personnel news, Heather Jackson has joined the company as executive editor of the women's health books group. Jackson, who had been at St. Martin's, will oversee Rodale's trade health list. She will report to Tami Booth, v-p and editor-in-chief of women's health books.
