An unknown writer's new book hits surprising #1 spot on release
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, a little-known murder-mystery writer, made its debut at No. 1 on The New York Times best-seller list recently selling 8,000 copies in the first two days with 354,000 in print according to this New York Times story (registration required):
Normally jealous rivals have been relieved to see that an aggressive marketing campaign and enthusiasm among booksellers can fuel sales, particularly for newer writers...
"That Doubleday was able to make this book No. 1 in its first week on sale gives us something to talk about in the industry — and try to duplicate," said Michael E. Morrison, publisher of the Morrow/Avon division of HarperCollins, the publishing division of the News Corporation. "It gives renewed hope that it is possible to reach more customers willing to take a chance on an unknown author. In the 80's and 90's it seemed easier to break out new fiction writers."