WoK Success

[The Rooster he/him]

I know that we are all (obviously) obsessed with The Way of Kings and are crazy looking forward to WoR, but does anyone know how well the book actually did.  It's stated on Wikipedia that it debuted #7 on the NYT Best Seller List which  to me sounds like a success.  I'm asking because I finally bought a Hardcover off of Amazon last month (after already having purchased a paperback to lend out to friends, a nook version and an audiobook off of Audible) and was shocked to see that I received a First Edition, First Printing!  Did they just make a butt-load of books, has the book underperformed, did I luck out, or is there a totally rational explanation involving digital sales (with tons of good 1.99 pricing), a quick paperback publication and this being a first edition in a long series.  Has anyone else bought a mint condition First Edition WoK recently?

Edited November 19, 2013 by agrooster

[Natans he/him]

Well, what I can say is that I gonna order a hardcover in the Amazon nowwww =)

[Meg]

I never thought about which edition of books I have, how can I see/check this?

[The Rooster he/him]

I never thought about which edition of books I have, how can I see/check this?

Go to the Copyright page.  If it's a First Edition it will say "First Edition" then there will be a series of numbers like this.

 

0  9  8  7  6  5  4  3  2  1

 

This number sequence for most publishers in the US represents the printings.  The last number on the right represents which printing it is.  What I have listed above would be a first printing.

 

0  9  8  7  6  5

 

This would be a 5th printing.

Edited November 19, 2013 by agrooster

[Meg]

Thanks a very lot! I just hoped, but I got a 4th edition.

[The Rooster he/him]

Thanks a very lot! I just hoped, but I got a 4th edition.

 

Where did you get your hardcover Meg, if you don't mind my asking? 

 

I bet that mine was a 1st Edition due to getting it from Amazon.  They must buy mass quantities of copies direct from the publisher right from the get-go to keep their price points low.  I would have thought for their business model they would commit to large quantities in forecasting while ordering physical copies in smaller number as actual sales come in.  That's how you make your number look good to shareholders.   They must a different business model.

 

If anyone else has a hardcover bought recently, where did you get it and what Edition/Printing do you have.  I don't know why but this is fascinating me.

Edited November 19, 2013 by agrooster

[Meg]

Where did you get your hardcover Meg, if you don't mind my asking?

 

 

No, I don't mind. I bought it from Amazon, too, two or three months ago. Thus I hoped I got a 1th edition, too, after I read your post.

IIRC Amazon didn't sell it directly, if this is understandable. I just searched Amazon again, but I can't trace back, why I remember this.

 

As a side note: "Vom Hersteller empfohlenes Alter: 14 - 18 Jahre" = recommended age: 14 to 18 years. Found on the amazon.de description of TWoK. On amazon.com there's no such a "recommendation".

[Gloom he/him]

There are various possibilities. The most likely is that they use a first in first out inventory system. This would mean that they sell their most recent inventory first, and only sell the older stuff as they start to run low on new stuff. So if they ordered 10K copies, sold 9K, then ordered more, that last 1000 copies would be waiting for the second order to run out before being sold. Rinse and repeat. They may very well have sold thousands of second, third, and fourth addition copies and just ran out of them and started selling their remaining first addition copies until the next order comes in. I'd say you got lucky.

[The Count he/him]

There are various possibilities. The most likely is that they use a first in first out inventory system. This would mean that they sell their most recent inventory first, and only sell the older stuff as they start to run low on new stuff. So if they ordered 10K copies, sold 9K, then ordered more, that last 1000 copies would be waiting for the second order to run out before being sold. Rinse and repeat. They may very well have sold thousands of second, third, and fourth addition copies and just ran out of them and started selling their remaining first addition copies until the next order comes in. I'd say you got lucky.

 

Not to nitpick (says just as he is about to nitpick...  )

 

But if they are using first in first out, then they would sell the last 1000 of the first order before starting to sell the second order.

 

First In First Out means that the oldest stock gets sold first.

 

What you are describing is Last in First out (oldest stock stays in the warehouse).

 

@agrooster: I would guess that is is just pure luck that you got a first edition.

[PeterAhlstrom he/him]

Way of Kings was Brandon's best solo adult hardcover launch. And the hardcover version has actually sold better so far in 2013 than it did in the whole year of 2012. Which is a very good sign that Words of Radiance is going to sell even better than Kings did on its launch. Whether it hits #1 is going to depend a lot on the competition in the week it gets released. It's not going to sell as well as a Wheel of Time book or The Wise Man's Fear, and definitely not A Dance with Dragons.

Edited November 20, 2013 by PeterAhlstrom

[Natans he/him]

Way of Kings was Brandon's best solo adult hardcover launch. And the hardcover version has actually sold better so far in 2013 than it did in the whole year of 2012. Which is a very good sign that Words of Radiance is going to sell even better than Kings did on its launch. Whether it hits #1 is going to depend a lot on the competition in the week it gets released. It's not going to sell as well as a Wheel of Time book or The Wise Man's Fear, and definitely not A Dance with Dragons.

 

Tkanks, for the info Mr.Peter.

 

For now =) But, when this book (or another by Sanderson) turn in movie/animation/serie, I really believe that Sanderson will leave a mark in popculture. =)

[Gloom he/him]

Not to nitpick (says just as he is about to nitpick...  )

 

But if they are using first in first out, then they would sell the last 1000 of the first order before starting to sell the second order.

 

First In First Out means that the oldest stock gets sold first.

 

What you are describing is Last in First out (oldest stock stays in the warehouse).

 

@agrooster: I would guess that is is just pure luck that you got a first edition.

Cough** LIFO ** Cough

 

I meant LIFO. Last in first out.

[marianmi]

Another one here with a first edition... Bought in 2013.