Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Make Publishing History

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, J.K. Rowling's seventh and final Harry Potter book, published in the U.S. by Scholastic, hit bookstores nationwide at 12:01 a.m. on July 21, 2007 and once again Harry Potter made history. Reports estimate that Scholastic broke all publishing records, selling an unprecedented 8.3 million copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in its first 24 hours on sale.

Scholastic announced a record breaking first printing of 12 million copies of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and retailers reported fast-paced pre-sales leading up to the release date.

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, J.K. Rowling's sixth Harry Potter book, was released on July 16, 2005, with a first printing of 10.8 million copies. At the time, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince was the fastest- selling book in history, selling 6.9 million copies in the first 24 hours. All six Harry Potter books, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince have been number one bestsellers in the United States, the U.K., and around the world. The American editions of the Harry Potter books are published under Scholastic's Arthur A. Levine imprint.