http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20050615/ts_alt_afp/afplifestyleusbooks_050615164136

Pre-orders for new Harry Potter exceed half a million

Wed Jun 15,12:41 PM ET

NEW YORK (AFP) - One month before the release of the sixth volume in
J.K. Rowling's hugely successful
Harry Potter series, online retailer Amazon.com said that advance orders had topped the half-million mark.

A total of 568,000 copies of "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" have been ordered online and at US syndicated store sites, such as Borders.com, Amazon said in a statement.

The online retailer has posted a "Harry Potter Meter" on its website which updates the number of advance orders every hour.

Scholastic Inc., the US publisher of the Harry Potter books has announced a record-breaking first print run of 10.8 million copies for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" which will go on sale in the United States at midnight on July 16.

An accompanying audiobook will be available the same day with a record first printing of 635,000 copies.

Harry's last outing, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," became the fastest selling book in US publishing history, selling five million copies in the first 24 hours after its release in June, 2003.

"Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" has sat firmly atop the bestseller lists of Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com since its release date was announced back in December.