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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
Order of Merlin, 2nd Class
Points: 1600
jenn007a says:
Harry Potter is thier biggest profit so it makes sense that they are going to continue to try and market different products even after the series is done.
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 9:46 AM EST
Student
Points: 235
horntail818 says:
Fair play to Bloomsbury. But will anything ever top it? They might be hard done by to find anything like HP!
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 10:00 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1372
lorrin_angel says:
Well that would be sort of harsh to stop selling the books but good for those of us who get a collection and never open them be worth a good bit of money some day.
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 10:00 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1280
MRC says:
It's a good plan, but I think it's going to be quite hard for them to find another JK Rowling with an idea as great as Harry Potter!
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 10:02 AM EST
Student
Points: 297
Hermione_Harry_Luna says:
Wow!! that's cool how important the Harry Potter books are to them but I'll be sad when the last book comes out.
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 10:03 AM EST
Harry’s Egg, Dan’s Duck
Points: 4742
Pearl* says:
Yeah... I've been reading this stuff about theire new marketing strategies... paying some footballer One Million Pounds to write his story??? Surely they can do better than that!
But bring on the special editions with leatherbound volumes! That's what true fans would want! (me, anyway ;-)
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 10:17 AM EST
Student
Points: 244
Brooks Evans Potter says:
That is sooo.. cool.At least there wont be a shortage of the books in the near future.I cant wait until JK finishes the last book.I hope it ends well.:) @---^-----
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 10:21 AM EST
Ravenclaw Mastermind
Points: 9743
Isilwen Ciryatan says:
Never thought of what might happen to Bloomsbury after all 7 HP books are published. If they continue to publish more books that people enjoy reading, then there shouldn't be much more to worry about, right? Though it would take another best seller to top HP. We'll see what happens in the end.
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 10:27 AM EST
Wizard
Points: 851
Mr. Unknown says:
I hate that there will be no more harry potter books after 2011.
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 10:36 AM EST
Queen of Blah
Points: 4073
snuffles563 says:
Oh yea...bloomsbury's rich alright....
there gonna stop selling hp books after 2011??!!! Oh my God what bout my fourth copies??!!
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 10:38 AM EST
Professor
Points: 1005
HP_obsessor says:
Wouldn't the Harry Potter movies help too? Well, no, but it would sort of still pay J.K. Rowling right?
Anyway, WOW! I feel so proud for all of them! Wooohoo!
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 10:46 AM EST
Witch
Points: 917
hermioneadmirer says:
I do hope they can keep it up after Harry Potter stops being realeased.Good luck!!
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 10:48 AM EST
Witch
Points: 830
Barbarian Black says:
but the truth is that after the final volume of JK Rowling's series appears, probably in 2007-
So there's still hope!!!
P.S.- I dont' think they'll stop selling HP books after 2011, they just can't count on the huge profits after that!
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 10:58 AM EST
Half-Blood Princess
Points: 2875
Katie Bloom says:
Amazing!!!!!!!!!!
That is great!!!!!!!!!!!!
JK rocks!!!!!*****
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 11:02 AM EST
Witch
Points: 531
ronNhermione4evr says:
Why would they stop selling Harry Potter after 2011....I know a lot of people would still by it.
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 11:18 AM EST
Squib
Points: 199
Lunas_Lonely_Lair says:
Oh my gosh...why would they stop selling HP products after 2011? Seriously, are they mad?
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 11:19 AM EST
Student
Points: 251
MrsViktorKrum says:
Well, I hope for their sake they do well. But then again there is nothing like HP, which is almost over..... *runs away in tears*
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 11:19 AM EST
Squib
Points: 137
SnApE iS mY hErO says:
The publisher doesn't mean that they will stop selling Harry Potter books in 2011, they just mean that that will be their last big profit year. After that , they may sell the rights to publish to a few other companies just to make a few more bucks. I seriously doubt that they will EVER stop selling Harry Potter books!
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 11:22 AM EST
The Golden Snidget
Points: 3157
Mrs. Phineas Nigellus says:
Well, good luck to Bloomsbury, though I hope they don't expect another phenomenon like the Potter craze. I don't think any childrens book in our lifetimes will ever surpass HP in sales or success. Sorry guys. Although, feel free to cash in on some smaller selling books. After all, staying afloat can't hurt. ;)
*The MRS*
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 11:42 AM EST
Witch
Points: 675
Heiress_ to_Slytherin says:
Wow what I wouldn't give to be those publishers! That is like so amazing!
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 11:46 AM EST
Keeper of the Faeries
Points: 5239
juliebug04 says:
I will be so sad when the series is over...but at least we will have the films to look forward to for a couple of years anyway...
The publishers should see a boom in sales when every film comes out as well.
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 11:51 AM EST
Every Flavored Bean
Points: 2884
the bean says:
They shouldn't worry. There are new generations of Potter fans born everyday. They will not die out in sales. Even those of us who have the books will eventually buy new ones for our children or grandchildren.
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 11:53 AM EST
Witch
Points: 755
Sm7 says:
I wish she could make more than 7 books. Holy s*** she so freakin' rich!
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 11:55 AM EST
Auror
Points: 2351
Skitch says:
Hearing all this makes me wonder what will happen to hpana and all the other hp sites. I know we'll all still have movies to post about, but eventually, will the site die off?
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 11:56 AM EST
Student
Points: 299
remember_c says:
I'm kind of confused... are they going to sell HP after 2011? HP is way more than just money spent.... I'll miss it. Maybe when my children's children are old enough to read them, they will re-realease the books. I hope so!
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 11:58 AM EST
Order of Merlin, 4th Class
Points: 1264
-Alf- says:
Incredible. Where would these "megabucks" come from if it wasn't for JK and the fans who got Harry Potter where it is today? Well, that's business. I guess the Bloomsbury stockholders can start selling their shares once everything's over because it's highly unlikely that there will be something big coming out after the Harry Potter era.
Posted Apr 11, 2006 at 12:06 PM EST
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