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APRIL 10, 2006 at 11:12 PM
Posted by CHEESER
Source: Guardian Unlimited via Yahoo! News
The success of Harry Potter has made British publisher Bloomsbury the most cash-rich in its industry, writes The Guardian's Matt Seaton in an in-depth company analysis
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With more than £50 million in its Gringott's vault, Bloomsbury is spending heavily to nab high-profile books from under the noses of competitors, in an effort to ensure that Potter's demise isn't also the end of their golden years:
The fact that Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, the latest and sixth in the series, is also the penultimate cannot have escaped the attention of Bloomsbury's shareholders. Newton talks about sustaining the franchise with "launches" of Harry Potter products (audiobooks, cloth-bound boxed sets, and so on) until 2011, but the truth is that after the final volume of JK Rowling's series appears, probably in 2007 and then in paperback in 2008, the company has just three more years of mega-bucks revenues.
Company executives are confident they can continue to deliver big returns to stockholders, post-Potter. Founding editor Liz Calder said "the heart and soul" of the publisher will continue to be driven by mass-interest novels, both fiction and non-fiction, but its new strategy will be: "big names, big money."
"We have made a number of big purchases in the last six months," said Nigel Newton, Bloomsbury's chairman. "We're in a position to do so."
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226-250 251-269
Squib
Points: 196
DameDesDenkariums says:
They will end to sell HP books in 2011?
Ahem, but why?????? How strange!
If the books become classics they should take care of the copyright instead.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 10:03 AM EST
Points: 81
Almost a man says:
Haha 2011 . . wait til the rest of those HP crazed fans hear this, their gonna flip their lids . . . haha, and I can't wait to see it . . .
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 11:02 AM EST
Witch
Points: 877
Jaci Scully says:
Wow. The publishing world thinking ahead. Unlike JK, they cannot sustain themselves forever on the successes of HP. (JK could, of corse, but I doubt she will.)
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 11:23 AM EST
Charms Mistress
(Moderator)
Points: 5145
Weesa says:
I'm sure they will be able to find a good source of revenue. And besides just because the highest Hp sales will probably end around 2011 doesn't mean they won't be selling it anymore.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 12:01 PM EST
Overqualified Jester
Points: 2783
jurassicfatt says:
Well, the bottom line is Harry is going to continue bringing revenue to their company for quite some time. So Harry will enable them to do other things. Hopefully, they will still keep their eyes open to great quirky projects with potential, because Harry was a bit of the shock to the world, and could not be predicted before hand.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 12:58 PM EST
Magical Sanitary Supplier
Points: 2518
5225 says:
Founding editor Liz Calder said "the heart and soul" of the publisher will continue to be driven by mass-interest novels, both fiction and non-fiction, but its new strategy will be: "big names, big money."
I like that slogan. Catchy, indeed.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 2:33 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1345
Dracos_Gurl13 says:
What that really means, is that in like 50 years, those of us dead will have children selling off our Harry Potter books for big bucks because Bloomsbury will have stopped selling them and they will be very valuable.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 3:10 PM EST
Witch
Points: 596
SlytherinsPerfectPrefect says:
It will be a sad day indeeed when the series is finished. But, you don't seriously think that they will stop selling HP books all together in 2011, do you? I mean, they can't. They just...can't...
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 3:25 PM EST
Student
Points: 254
Kurben rules your world!! says:
Well i think they owe... JK.rowling
quite alot..like to see what they would do with out
her..losers
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 3:30 PM EST
Squib
Points: 129
Danny'sgurl4ever says:
What! they can't stop selling them by then the'll be classics!
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 3:43 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 446
Phoenix Lament <3 says:
I don't like to think that we are all waiting for the last book....It makes me sad *tear*...=[
But it would be more devastating to know that they'll stop selling them....i mean come on! Parents will buy them to their children and so on so on....
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 3:48 PM EST
Witch
Points: 722
x-Adorkable-x says:
LE SIGHH. Their making bucks. But yup, so sad to think about HP after the last books, it makes me feel sad and ended. And all of the questions will be kinda answered, but it's no fun without HP curiosity. =( I'll miss it.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 4:27 PM EST
Head Girl
Points: 416
twilightlove says:
I will be so sad when the books are over. I will probably resort to reading them over and over then making up my own stories of what will happen next. Maybe if we are lucky then she will write an epilogue.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 4:45 PM EST
Points: 865
superduperpotter says:
I hope JK could write some more books after the seventh for the information of Harry's future and how people are getting on with life, (weather or not harry succeds in finishing voldemort off).
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 4:52 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1065
GeeMessy says:
I do not even want to think about life after the series is over. But as long as they keep on selling Potter stuff then I will be happy.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 5:06 PM EST
Wizard
Points: 711
Crookshanks the Auror says:
All the legal stuff gives me a headache...
catnip?
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 6:08 PM EST
Gryffindor Ghost
Points: 9860
Professor Cat says:
Hahah that's awesome!
Wish I worked in Bloomsbury, would be a nice pay rise I expect haha.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 6:29 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1218
hermygrangergirl says:
Yes I think that their Potter success may, with a bit of luck, last until 2011. Ugh when I read the above I couldn't help feeling a little sad, though. I mean, cloth bound HP books are great and all, but the series is still over. The story is gone, and that's what counts. *sigh*.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 6:56 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1454
xMAVERICK says:
Awww Im gonna miss hp so much once it is finished.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 6:56 PM EST
Muggle
Points: 26
osugspaleo says:
Wow...this is iinteresting to know...I can't wait for Book 7 to come out...I hope the company keeps releasing Harry Potter stuff long after 2011...that generations can enjoy this wonderful series...as generations enjoy the LotR trilogy!
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 7:05 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 3rd Class
Points: 1426
~Hermione says:
When you think about it, at first so many publishers refused her script and Bloomsbury accepted at last. I think J.K. Rowling is going to write more and probably she will publish her books there again.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 7:11 PM EST
Professor
Points: 1023
Magical Teapot says:
JKR will definately write more books. They may be totally un-HP related, but she will write. And it's not as though HP sales will totally stop in 2011, most major sales will be done though and it will not be the main moneymaker.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 8:27 PM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1375
'Arry + Hermy says:
Stop the books in 2011! That is horrible! I would love for the books to keep on selling... like LOTR! They always have new editions of that!
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 8:41 PM EST
Half-Blooded Fooch
Points: 2447
fooch48 says:
HMMM...Release in 2007! "final volume of JK Rowling's series appears, probably in 2007" That sounds like the most important statement of all!
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 9:12 PM EST
Witch
Points: 852
nejicanspin says:
They better not think about that at all!!! 2011!! They get a lot of money. I don't understand why they wanted to get rid of publication for the Harry Potter books. If that's so then get the books while you still can.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 9:37 PM EST
Heiress of Gryffindor
Points: 3537
Nienna Narmolanya says:
Ehh, they'll do well enough. Harry Potter is pretty big, but I'm sure there might be betetr books in the future. I mean, Harry Potter is GENIUS, but come on, there has to something better in the future - this can't be the only GREAT series ever.
Posted Apr 12, 2006 at 9:47 PM EST
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