Go Set a Watchman Sells 1.1 Million Copies in a Week

Shelf Awareness

In the week since its release, Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee has sold more than 1.1 million copies in print, digital and audio editions in the U.S. and Canada, making the novel the fastest-selling book in HarperCollins history, the publisher said.

The book had an initial printing of two million copies. HarperCollins has gone back to press multiple times and now has more than 3.3 million copies in print. It also printed more than 150,000 copies in Spanish for the U.S., Latin America and Spain. HarperCollins president and CEO Brian Murray told the Wall Street Journal, which, like HarperCollins, is owned by News Corp., that the hardcover edition has outsold the e-book version by a 2-to-1 ratio, "the opposite of many fiction works."

Murray added: "First week sales of Go Set a Watchman have far exceeded our expectations. 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."

The publisher's report mirrors retailers' reports. Last week, Barnes & Noble said that Go Set a Watchman had higher sales last Tuesday than any other adult fiction trade title in the company's history and expects the book to be its bestselling title for 2015. Books-A-Million similarly said that Go Set a Watchman sold more copies on its release day than any other adult fiction book in BAM's history.