TAKES OFF WITH OVER 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE
US Market Sees Year-Over-Year Sales Growth Across Distribution Channels
Release Garners Instant Bestselling Success Around the World asJeff Kinney’s Extensive International Tour Continues
New York, NY [December 4, 2017] – With a global release in over 140 countries, Jeff Kinney’s newest title Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway has sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide. It was announced today by Michael Jacobs, President and CEO of ABRAMS, the originating publisher of the series in the US who also experienced continued sales growth across major distribution channels.
Leading up to and immediately following the November 7 launch among 24 of the series’ publishers worldwide, The Getaway ranked #1 with retailers around the world, including on Amazon in the United States, Australia, and Germany, and hit the #1 spot on bestseller lists including the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal, among others. The robust worldwide sales thus far forecast a strong performance by The Getaway for the year, with additional promotion, touring, and holiday sales still ahead.
In the US, The Getaway experienced an 15% growth in sales compared to last year’s release of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down. This year’s release received widespread promotional support at the retail level across major channels of distribution, including the mass market, national chain, and drug and grocery store accounts, as well as in school book fairs and book clubs and among independent bookstores.
The Getaway was also supported by a massive marketing and publicity campaign, including national television spots, videos airing in-flight and at airports across the country, major national and social media advertising, and a ten-city author tour in the States. Moreover, additional retail support and marketing efforts will continue into the fourth quarter with holiday advertising, the Wimpy Kid balloon at the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and The Getaway Family Sweepstakes (in the continental United States).
“In a competitive and tough marketplace and at the most crowded time of the year for new book releases, we’re thrilled that, after more than a decade of phenomenal Diary of a Wimpy Kid success, we continue to see sales growth in North America and around the world,” says Jacobs. “Publishing a new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book is a tremendous team effort, and countless people here at ABRAMS and at our publishing partners around the world make it happen. We’re thankful to all of them for our success as well as to our retail partners for their support. Most of all, we thank Jeff Kinney whose genius and talent is the foundation of the series that continues to turn millions of kids around the world into readers.
Internationally, Wimpy Kid is now published in over 140 countries, which means that the books are now read in over two-thirds of the world’s countries. Foreign partners who simultaneously released The Getaway on November 7 have experienced tremendous success as a result of extensive outreach and promotion. In addition, Kinney made his largest tour commitment beyond the US to date, doing presentations, signings, and meeting fans in ten cities across Europe and Asia, some of which are still to come in December, including Dublin, Bath, London, Prague, Warsaw, and Budapest.
Wimpy Kid publishers around the world proclaim . . .
“We are incredibly proud that Jeff Kinney’s twelfth and latest book in the phenomenal Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, The Getaway, has achieved another outstanding result with sales. In its tenth anniversary year, this exceptional series continues to be as popular as ever, delighting children around the world with hilarious stories and characters and enticing even the most reluctant of readers. With an upcoming visit from Jeff to the UK and Ireland as part of his global tour for The Getaway, there is plenty of excitement to come, and we look forward to celebrating this incredible milestone moment in the series.”
—Francesca Dow, Managing Director Penguin Random House Children’s UK
“In spite of a continuously competitive market on middle-grade illustrated humor books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid remains unbeatable! Independent bookstores—which are so important for the French industry— welcome every new book with a growing thrill . . . which is not typically French!”
—Thomas Leclère, Editor Fiction La Martinière / Le Seuil
France
“One more exciting year ends with Greg Heffley’s adventures and the Wimpy Kid. We are always excited to publish another book in Jeff Kinney’s series, and we are certain that our Greek readers agree!!!”
—Dominique Sandis, Children’s and YA Fiction Editor/Foreign Rights
Psichogio
Greece
“This new title is super funny and heartwarming to make all the readers love Greg again. There are more and more Taiwanese children engaging in reading this global series because of the creativity and unique storytelling style of Jeff Kinney. The release of The Getaway definitely burns incredible heat to make the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series another huge success.”
—Yao-Yun Hsu, Vice President Global Kids Publishing
Taiwan
“The Getaway is Jeff Kinney at his very best. It’s big fun with absolutely hilarious situations. We are very proud to be the publisher of Jeff Kinney in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and that The Getaway hit #1 spots on all the bestseller lists. Thank you, Jeff, for this great work!”
—Bodo Horn-Rumold, Publisher Children’s Books Baumhaus Verlag in the Bastei Lübbe AG
Germany
“It’s Wimpy Kid time, when we celebrate both literary merit and commercial success and wonder once more at Jeff’s brilliant humor, which crosses cultural and geographic borders and makes the world burst out laughing yet again. Amazing, isn’t it?”
—Yael Molchadsky, Director of Children’s and YA Books Kinneret Zmora Dvir Publishing House Ltd
Israel
“It has been almost 10 years since we first published Wimpy Kid; it keeps amazing us by selling stronger than ever and reaching millions of kids, turning reluctant readers into avid ones. It is a rare global phenomenon in children’s publishing, and I am confident that together we will be setting new benchmarks for many new years to come.”
—Firat Yenici Epsilon Publishing
Turkey
“After Jeff Kinney’s first visit to Korea last year, we are much pleased that the fandom of Wimpy Kid became stronger, and we expect a lot for the new book as well. We believe it will become the classic that gives courage and catharsis to children.”
—Hyunmi Park, General Manager
Mirae N Co., Ltd.
Korea
“Every time we release a new Wimpy Kid book, it turns to be an amazing surprise and huge success. Week after week, during all year, we always have at least one Wimpy Kid book on children’s TOP10 charts. It’s an amazing privilege to be able to work the brand and to have a direct contact with Jeff Kinney and his team, and all the amazing WK family and publishers around the globe. Let’s keep up with the good work and make Wimpy Kid even greater!”
—Ana Afonso, Editorial Director
2020 Editora
Portugal
Founded in 1949, ABRAMS was the first company in the United States to specialize in publishing art and illustrated books. Now a subsidiary of La Martinière Groupe, the company continues to publish critically acclaimed and bestselling works in the areas of art, photography, cooking, craft, comics, interior and garden design, entertainment, fashion, and popular culture; children’s books ranging from young adult fiction to picture books to board books. ABRAMS creates and distributes brilliantly designed visual books with the highest production values under the following imprints: Abrams; Abrams ComicArts; Abrams Image; Abrams Press; Abrams Books for Young Readers; Amulet Books; Abrams Appleseed; and a gift and stationery line, Abrams Noterie. ABRAMS also distributes books published by The Vendome Press, V&A Publishing, Tate Publishing, Booth-Clibborn Editions, 5 Continents Editions, SelfMadeHero, The Museum of Modern Art, Cameron + Company, Getty Publications, and others.
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