Hardcore 50 Shades Series Goes Hardcover

The Fifty Shades of Grey series has sold 35 million volumes in the U.S. and another 35 million outside our borders.  Just when you thought the phenomenal success of the S & M story, dubbed ‘mommy porn’ could not grow further, a new chapter has been written.

Contrary to reports that print is dead, the publisher, Vintage Books, is reversing the order of things by now releasing hardcover editions of the books that have already sold zillions of e-books and trade paperbacks. Usually the cloth version comes out first and then the trade paperback follows a year later. In other cases, publishers are releasing all four versions – hardcover, trade paper, e-book, and audio – simultaneously upon the original publication date.

But this book, originally self-published in 2011 by a British author, is making publishing history with everything that it does.

Even stranger, the hardcover editions will be released on Valentine’s Day. S that how we sell violent erotica – as a love story? I applaud their marketing strategy. Milk it for all that you can. I am waiting for spinoffs, like a teen version or a prequel, or a study guide. Or maybe the author, EL James, will come out with her own illustrated version of a kama sutra-type, love-making bible.

What can the book franchise whip up next? I would expect a HBO-adopted TV series, Kinky Sex and the City.

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©