Many industries do mid-year assessments, and at the end of June, the publishing world did the same. As it turns out, Prince Harry’s Spare is still the biggest nonfiction book of the year, and likely the biggest books of the year. Per Forbes: “Prince Harry And Self-Help Books Dominate The 2023 Non-Fiction Bestseller List.” What I like about Forbes’ piece is they list the number of print copies sold for all books, so you can see how Spare is way ahead of the nonfiction pack. And again, this is just for print copies, hardbacks sold in the US. Spare was and is a huge bestseller abroad, it’s been translated into like fifty languages AND people bought a lot of copies of the audiobook.
Prince Harry owns the No. 1 bestselling nonfiction title so far this year, with more than 1 million print copies of his 400-page memoir Spare sold in the U.S.
THE TOP FIVE BOOKS:
1: Spare by Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex (1,174,137 print copies sold). Published in 2023.
2: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear (587,718 copies sold in 2023). Published in 2018.
3: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk (289,701 copies sold). Published in 2015.
4: The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene (277,966 copies sold). Published in 2000.
5: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz (247,211 copies sold). Published in 1997.
Adult nonfiction sales got off to a slow start this year, lagging behind the growing adult and young adult fiction sectors, Bookscan reported. But “Spare” changed all that when it became one of the fastest-selling nonfiction books for adults since 2004, and one of the top three bestsellers in week-one sales. Only Barack Obama’s “A Promised Land” (2020) and Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” (2018) outsold “Spare” in week one. Prince Harry’s read is the only new release at the top of the bestselling nonfiction book list so far this year, which is padded out by self-help books. The self-help industry exploded between 2013 and 2019, rising from 30,897 published titles to 85,253. Motivational and inspirational books have been the most popular subject in the self-help category, Bookscan reported, followed by books that focus on creativity.
Spare sold almost twice the number of copies as the next best-selling nonfiction book. That’s insane. Part of me wonders if Spare’s enormous success is part of the reason why the media douchebags are being so extra about how and why they criticize the Sussexes these days.
Speaking of, every royal reporter and culture/media reporter is still singlemindedly focused on the end of the Sussexes’ Spotify deal. It definitely feels like there were a lot of people sharpening their knives for the past three years, just waiting for the moment when there was one “bad” piece of news about the Sussexes’ business. The wall-to-wall obsession from American and British media is starting to remind me of the UK coverage of South Park’s mockery – like, you would have thought that was the first time South Park ever mocked a celebrity from the way it was being covered. So too with this Spotify thing – you would think the Sussexes were the first people to ever end a deal with a podcast company. The Daily Beast did a piece this week about just how many celebrities’ podcasts “failed” – Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, Bruce Springsteen & Barack Obama, Alicia Silverstone, Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer, etc. All are failed podcasters. I’d just like to point out that despite the gleefully mean-spirited commentary on the Sussexes… like, Archetypes WAS successful. And I’m interested in a second season, which will hopefully be housed somewhere else.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
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- A general view of Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’ on sale at Waterstones bookshop at Piccadilly, London, England, UK on Tuesday 10 January, 2023. The retailer opened its doors early at 8am for customers to purchase the book.,Image: 748668805, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- A stock image of Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’ in front of Buckingham Palace, London, England, UK on Tuesday 10 January, 2023, which went on sale today.,Image: 748708660, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon
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- London, UNITED KINGDOM – Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” goes on sale at midnight at WH Smith bookstore in Victoria Station, London. Pictured: General view BACKGRID USA 10 JANUARY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Los Angeles, CA – Prince Harry’s memoir was released Tuesday, not only offering new details on the British royal family’s bitter internal feud after days of bombshell revelations and promotional interviews but also describing how he fell headlong in love with his future wife, Meghan Markle. While many of the details from the book, titled “Spare,” have already been reported, its release at midnight Monday local time (7 p.m. ET) will allow the public to get their hands on a copy of a memoir filled with glimpses into a rarified family riven by disagreement and distrust. The title of the Dutch version is called Reserve. Pictured: Prince Harry’s memoir BACKGRID USA 10 JANUARY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
No surprise there.
I wonder how Chuckles feels knowing that no gone GAF about his book and yet his son has literally set the world on fire with this one regardless of whether the reader is for, against or indifferent to the BRF.
The problem with Charles is that despite being on the right side of the UK RW press, it will be Diana, Harry and Meghan who define his tenure as a Prince then King in the history books.
Very well said. Even William himself, or side chick Camila, none of these people will ever escape the larger than life shadows of prince ss Diana and of the D’n’Dss of Sussex. It’s a dark cloud always above them, they shall never shine, never.
I wonder if a paperback edition with a couple of chapter update and some photos is planned. I would buy it again .
They have been waiting with the nasty stories. They nit pick everything to death to bring the negativity. They wanted him gone and he is gone but he is thriving and that is just too much for them to take.
@susanCollins , Susan they wanted him gone and silent, but, they believed their own crap for far to long!, despite Harry’s charities, his two tours of Afghanistan, and the fact that even in his late teens he started sentebale with prince Seeiso they kept claiming he was thick and slow!, now here we are, archetypes and especially Spare Along with everything else he has done over the last few years prove, the only thick and slow ones are left behind in their palaces and working on fleet street, oh we should also remember their are a few cowards there as well, aren’t there Mr pus Morgan, to afraid to repeat their slander and lies under oath?? Harry called you all out didn’t he, so we see ALL of you now, for exactly what you really are. Win or lose the court case, Harry has WON, because that failure to face him will haunt you, just like it haunts Charlie
They wanted Meghan gone and destroyed. I doubt that the royals or the rota clowns ever wanted, much less expected Harry to leave. They just wanted his marriage to Meghan to fail. And they likely hoped for them never to conceive a child, especially not as quickly as they did.
Exactly this. And the salivation at watching the Sussexes fail and run back to the BRF with tail in legs can stop now because it ain’t gonna happen. The joke’s on the BM because the Sussexes are set for life as it is now and the way things look going forward.
I don’t know if they are set for life. They’re not telling me! I do believe there is zero chance of them going back to work for the BRF. Oh hey, let’s go back to that toxic environment! Good times. I’m guessing Harry is like my husband. During the 2008 recession, he said he would take a job shoveling shit with the wind against him before going back and working for someone in his industry.
Will they ever release the complete numbers? Print, digital, audio, international numbers?
Yes where are the global numbers??? I’m guessing they are waiting to release it once it is out of the best seller list but the numbers must be massive.
I think that is hard to do. Let’s say forbes would be interested in doing so, i think digital and audio would be doable but for the total of international numbers you would have to contact every single small and big bookstore that sold spare and ask them for the amount sold. Seems like an impossible task.
Yah I have no clue how any of this works lol but I would think at least in some countries there is at least major bookseller which would give a number for hard copies. But yes even the audio and digital numbers would be nice! It must be the best selling autobiography of all time by now.
Yeah I would be really interested in this. Everyone–EVERYONE–I know listened to Spare on audiobook because Harry narrated. Including me.
And Forbes has only spoken of the printed hard copy of Spare and yet there are MILLIONS of audiobooks sold, exchanged and available at libraries across the US!!
Harry has and will always be who he is and no one can take that away from him.
@Abby: “EVERYONE–I know listened to Spare on audiobook because Harry narrated.”
^^ Yep. Harry’s voice is golden! He did such a great job too! Grammy-worthy for ‘spoken word.’ 😍
Even my hubby who, unlike me, is NOT a reader at all, ‘read’ spare by listening to the audiobook.
@Snuffles
Michelle Obama’s book: “Becoming,” was published in Nov, 2018 and was said by Random House to be “the best-selling hardcover book” of that year. “It sold more than 2 million copies in all formats in North America in its first 15 days.”
And by July 2022 (3.5 years later) Random House said the book had sold over 17Million copies worldwide.
Prince Harry’s book shattered Michelle’s first-15-days record in less than one week!
So going by that trajectory, I expect that by the first anniv of Spare, we should be getting some spectacular, worldwide numbers from Random House.
A lot of people like me read the digital version, but not the audio digital version. Will be interesting when those numbers come out because I think a lot of people buy and read digital versions.
That’s how I read it. And thousands, at least, of copies went to libraries.
What can I say? Bought it, read it, loved it. I can’t say whether I’m biased or not – I follow Harry and Meghan’s story since their wedding, so I had “preliminary” knowledge and formed opinion about a lot of things. Though more than million copies sold confirm my opinion. Great respect for Harry.
I bought it and read it and loved it too. And everybody was talking about it at the time (those for and those against).
I still remember Richard Palmer saying that the book was a flop because there were no long lines on publishing day. If there was ever a sign of how backwards and unintelligent the British press is it was that instance. I’m so happy for Harry. Anytime he decides to drop part 2, I’m here for it.
That a-hole was going to call anything less than the lines waiting for the 7th Harry Potter book a flop. He was trying to will it into existence.
With the WME signing pretty sure there is much more deliciousness to come from the Sussex camp. . The gleeful nastiness re the mutual parting of the ways from Spotify gave the gutter rats a way to denigrate a very successful couple. Looking forward to what is coming next from team Sussex
I believe all the noise is to get a response. I hope the Sussex treat the BRF n press like they treat the Markles🤐🤐🤐🤐. They’re trying so hard to rattle the cage. Some woman along with Diana’s former are bitching about suing. I really feel bad for them. I’m sure they have their moments.
@Connie like you I do not know the inner workings of team Sussex, but if their lack of response to the noise from the UK is any indication of how they operate or feel, I think they are far beyond giving a rats ass about the noise. As Harry has indicated on multiple occasions including his book, they are looking forward. They expected the vilification and appear to be “protecting their peace,” by ignoring it, which in my opinion is the best possible strategy for living your best most authentic life. And one which the gutter UK press has difficulty with. They want engagement and a defensive posture from the Sussexes which they will not get. You are defensive when you have cause and the gutter press does not even merit cause or a response.
Yes, one of their goals is to rattle their cages and goad them into a response, a lawsuit, or to even just come outside so they can photograph them and have something to talk about.
@Snuffles from what I have observed from afar, pretty sure the Sussexes are out and about. The paparazzi catches them on occasions but if they do not want to be seen, pretty sure they will not be. It is probably a cat and mouse game with those paparazzi buzzards but Harry has been dealing with them the entirety of his life. I would like to believe the Sussexes are moving about as best they can under their circumstances and are not being forced into reclusiveness.
@maxine
Oh, I was just being facetious. I know Harry and Meghan are out and about all the time.
When I say, leave the house, I’m thinking more like, go to more public events where the press will know when and where.
It’s a beautifully written book and deserves all the success it is getting.
Proud of Harry and his ghost writer .
This. It really is a beautifully written, interesting book with real literary quality. He and the ghost writer knocked it out of the park. Good for them.
The toxicity in the reportings on Harry and Meghan just continued breathlessly unabated. The intensity increased with each passing year amongst old players and attracting new critics. I wonder why . They are predicting divorce and failures why none of which is happening.
So much of it is projection and a hint of what’s going on the in Wales marriage. Living apart and on the brink of divorce? That’s Peggy and Keen. Failed projects? *coughEarlyYearscough*
But, yes, I totally agree that the negativity and misogynoir toward Meghan is relentless and disgusting.
@ SussexWatcher, though I fully agree and support your point, I simply cannot wrap my head around the constant daily H&M attacks, I am simply hopeful that will cease. But then again, I am reminded that they still attack Diana after all of these years.
Yeah, this, BothSidesNow. They still trash Diana, 25 years after her death. This garbage island is never going to change.
But Kitty and Willnot are above reproach. JFC.
Interesting that all the other books listed are several (to almost 2 decades) old. I wonder what Spare numbers will be in 5 years time.
Also? Get that money, Sussexes! 💰 I wonder what kind of contract he had and hope it came with lots of bonuses for reaching different sales milestones. I’m loving that Suits is in the top 10 on Netflix and gleeful that Meghan will be getting a residuals check with every viewing. Those who hate watch are putting money straight in her pockets!
Right. Harry has to be making more from the book as it continues to sell.
Harry will be collecting checks for the rest of his life.
All thee of you are so on point with how this is affect Harry, and Meghan, with their financial stability for the rest of their lives. I did see that Suits is in the top ten of Netflix, as I binge watched Cattrall’s show “Glamorous” this weekend.
It’s simply beautiful and amazing all wrapped up with a bow and a ginormous check inside that keeps coming again, and again, and again……
If Meghan never met Harry, and largely quit acting after Suits, she would easily be living a cushy upper middle class life. She would still be running The Tig and being an influencer, starting her own brands, on top of being a philanthropist. She would be making millions a year.
Me thinks it was Meghan who cancelled her contract with Spotify. Hence the bitterness from Spotify. I will sign up to whichever platform Archetypes goes. I loved the series.
This has been my suspicion as well.
Agreed. And happily left money on the table to get away from them. That’s got to hurt Spotify’s ego.
I think also, Spotify’s anti-vaccine podcaster joe rogan contributed to their leaving. They even released their public stance against his views before dropping the first season. I think they just couldn’t leave at the time because of their contract.
He is also a disgusting, vile racist. I can’t believe anyone keeps Spotify given the things Joe has been captured spreading on his garbage show.
I agree. If WME is going to make money from Meghan it will be with new deals , not the old ones. If Spotify is tight on cash, they probably weren’t in a position to negotiate anything. So the Sussexes walked. Not to mention how difficult they were to work with.
Yup, I agree with this too. Spotify’s reaction has been way too weirdly salty and personal for this to have been their own decision, or even a mutual decision for that matter. Also, it was obvious at the very least that whoever is in charge of Spotify’s Twitter handle was not aware of the decision, as they were continuously name dropping and gushing about Archetypes all the way up until the announcement.
This MUST be the case as that Spotify di@#head came out with many salty, unprofessional and blatantly damaging comments which created damage to Spotify as a whole.
Spotify has permanently damaged their reputation and credibility on their specific market for the world to see. I suspect that Spotify is circling the drain with self inflicted damage.
Spare is just so good. I really enjoyed it and will give it another read with a trip to the beach this weekend. I am so glad he wrote this book and knowing that there is more that he could have shared is amazing. I want more pleaseHarry!
I looooooooooove listening and re-listening and re-listening to Section 3: when & how they met; their courtship; the RF betrayal & start of the shidtmedia smear campaign; the Cain & Unable shenanigans; their wedding; their tours; Archie’s birth; their leaving; their new life……I just pop in my earbuds and listen over and over and again and again and again while I’m also doing other stuff……..lol
I know the chapters in Section 3 by heart now and sometimes I just skip over the left-over royals and shidthole cuntry and listen only to the happy and fun chapters: in Botswana, Canada, America.
Ugh…yes! Same here. I love hearing him talk about Meghan about how their romance bloomed. You can hear how proud he is of her and how grateful he is to have found her. Thanks Snapchat and Instagram.
I think it’s hilarious that folks were like “Oh. They didn’t meet through a charity event?!? They met ONLINE??? A modern love story with old school elements. I love it and it gives me hope.
I knew when Audible basically crashed and I couldn’t listen to Spare till midday despite pre-ordering months in advance that the book was gonna be huge. I bought the hardback cover as well. It was a fantastic book and i’m also interested in knowing to total number.
On Amazon the hardcover is the top seller in 2023 so far in any category, not just non-fiction. Love it for him personally, but happy so many people are getting an idea about what’s really been going on for so long behind the public facade of the RF and monarchy.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/2023/books
I put Spare on hold at my library the first day it was on the shelves and remained at 26 til last Sunday, yay me. I don’t have a Kindle or do audio so I suppose I could have gotten it sooner. A month or so ago I saw it in paperback at HellMart but it was in Spanish. I wonder if it was legit. I’m almost finished!
I preordered my copy from my local independent bookstore. When I picked it up, the lady at the register commented people were in to get Spare more than any book she could remember.
That’s magnificent!! I too ordered my book from an independent bookseller as well. These poor bookstores are becoming dinosaurs with todays pillage from big chains.
That is fantastic!
Am I the only person with negative interest in any podcast? People coming at me recommending podcasts always sound like someone trying to get me to attend their weird church. No thank you.
That said I bought the book in hardcover and enjoyed reading it on a long trip.
Do you mean podcast or audiobook? Or both? I’m not a huge podcast person but I listened to Archetypes. On a road trip with my friend, she was trying to get me to listen to that podcast with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes and some other guy. I could not get into it at all. I prefer music on a road trip. Or I can very much get into a good audiobook on a long trip. But I’m pretty eh on podcasts.
Wil Arnett is the 3rd guy in Smartless podcast with Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes.
I have always been curious about the Wil Arnett quick divorce from Amy Poehler. I loved that Amy handled his next relationships with humour – commenting on their age by offering to bring them juice boxes. I love her.
Podcasts, or audio anything, make me drift off. Then I’m all “Wait, what?” and I have to go back to hear what I’ve missed. I much prefer reading.
I’m the same. If I’m doing a loong drive alone though, an audiobook saves me. But just being at home listening to an audiobook is not possible for me. Like you, I drift off and have no idea what’s going on.
I’m the opposite, reading physical books makes me sleepy now, which I despise. This is the worst part of getting older, for me, so far.
I love podcasts! I listen while doing something else, though; I listen while driving, while doing housework, while going on my daily walk. I got it them first by listening to audiobooks on long drives for work, then graduated to podcasts when I moved to a place where I could no longer listen to my favorite NPS shows while doing chores on Saturdays. The last ten years or so have seen an explosion in podcasts. I subscribe to an even two dozen now. Some are seasonal, like You Must Remember This; others are year-round, like Pod Save America. Most I listen to are to lift my mood & laugh, or to learn something; others follow my interests in history (the History Chicks, the Bowery Boys, the Gilded Gentleman), or trivia (Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me, Go Fact Yourself). The one fictional podcast I listen to is Welcome to Night Vale.
Not just you! I just can’t do podcasts. I tried to listen to Archetypes, and I could tell it was well done, but I just can’t get into them. I bought the audiobook of Spare to support Harry, but I really don’t do audiobooks either – I can’t pay attention or retain any information from them while doing anything else, so listening to one while driving is a no-go. And what’s the point of a book (or podcast) if you don’t pay attention to it?
Does the inside of Spare not have any pictures ?
No! And I was so bummed by that!
The most enraging thing you can do to narcissists is to ignore them, they get frothing-at-the-mouth angry and spiteful. You can see it with Trump, and the more Jack Smith et al ignore him the crazier he gets, and shoots himself in the foot over and over again. The tabloid bottom-feeders continue to try to goad the Sussexes into reacting, but other than several lawsuits in process, they smile serenely and go about their business under the radar. It must drive them nuts.
Congratulations Harry! Terrific news.
Oh the sounds of fists pounding, cussing, and gnashing of teeth coming from KP today!
No matter what they try to do to him, Harry comes out on top. Winning!
Good for Prince Harry. I’m so glad his book is a success.
Book #2 on the list, Atomic Habits, was recommended to me by my psychiatrist while I was really struggling to get back to life after a depressive period. Bought it but still havent read it