A Scholastic-sponsored sweepstakes delivered copies to the doors of 5,000 lucky winners. And casting calls went out for Brits aged 9 to 11 to audition for the roles of Potter and his pals in a film scheduled for release November 16, 2001. Already over 60,000 potential actors have applied. This is handled by the Uniform Code Council. One of the reasons The Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing has become such a popular novel is because Penguin Books publicity director donned her Girl Guide gear fur hat with huge ear flaps, red coat, and galoshes to hand out free reading copies of the new paperback edition in midtown Manhattan.
Internet surges ahead.
In a study released recently by giant Cisco Systems, the Internet elbowed its way into the nation's economy even more strongly than many expected. Internet-related jobs account for more people than are employed by insurance or public utilities industries and twice as many as are working for airlines. This high-tech industry that didn't even exist a few years ago, is growing at an unprecedented rate. Be sure to read the article in this issue about BookExpo America highlights to see how it will impact your business. Food books for kids offer appetizing tie-ins.