Bestseller Lists and Big Publishing Deals — 2026-10-22
Isabel Allende has won the €1 million Premio Planeta with a sequel to her debut, marking a major shift away from Penguin Random House to Planeta. In the US, Freida McFadden’s thriller *The Witch* holds the #1 spot, while print sales remain statistically flat through September. HarperCollins UK has launched a new commercial fiction imprint, Wildlit.
Bestseller Lists and Big Publishing Deals — 2026-10-22
Top developments
Isabel Allende Wins Premio Planeta, Leaves Penguin Random House
Chilean author Isabel Allende won the 2026 Premio Planeta, one of the world’s most lucrative literary prizes, for her novel La hora antes del alba. The win, announced in late October, comes with a €1 million award and signifies a major industry shift: Allende has left Plaza & Janés, a Penguin Random House imprint where she published for four decades, to join Planeta. This move reconfigures the Spanish-language publishing landscape, as noted by Buscqueda and Letras Latinas.
Freida McFadden Tops US Bestseller Lists
The Witch by Freida McFadden is the #1 book in the country for the week ending October 19, according to Publishers Weekly. The thriller’s dominance reflects the ongoing strength of spooky-season fiction. Also making significant list movements are Veronica Roth’s The Sixth Faction, a reimagining of her Divergent series, and new entries from Stephen King and Wm. Paul Young.
HarperCollins UK Launches New Imprint "Wildlit"
HarperCollins UK has launched Wildlit, a new adult fiction imprint led by Publisher Lindsey Heaven and Publishing Director Sarah. The imprint focuses on "unabashedly bold, commercial and page-turning fiction" with romance as a connecting thread across genres. This launch signals HarperCollins’ continued investment in high-volume commercial fiction segments.
Local view
Spanish-language media outlets are heavily focused on the fallout from the Premio Planeta announcement. ABC.es reports that Julia Navarro has taken the top spot in local fiction sales, but the broader conversation is dominated by Allende’s switch to Planeta. Letras Latinas describes the move as a reconfiguration of the "editorial board" in the Spanish market, highlighting the competitive tension between Planeta and Penguin Random House.
Context & numbers
Print Sales Flat: According to Circana BookScan, US print unit sales were down just 0.1% for the nine-month period ended October 3, 2026, totaling 531.3 million units. This indicates a stable but stagnant market compared to 2025.
Penguin Random House Financials: In its most recent half-year results (reported August 2026), Penguin Random House showed 2.3% revenue growth despite macroeconomic challenges.
On the radar
- Celebrity Memoir Market: Livemint reports on the continued trend of multi-million dollar deals for celebrity memoirs, noting that publishers are willing to pay high advances for "dirty linen" tell-alls from figures like Harry Styles and Britney Spears.
- NYT Longest-Reigning Books: Quartz is analyzing historical data to highlight the 10 books that held the #1 spot on the New York Times bestseller list longer than almost any other title, providing context for current longevity trends.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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