Following a remarkable surge in interest, readers flocked to bookstores across the country last weekend to grab their copies of “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.”

In response to this overwhelming demand, Scholastic, the young wizard's American publisher, has opted to increase their print run significantly—almost doubling the initial quantity.

Previously, 3.8 million copies of “Goblet” had already been made available, and now an additional 3 million copies are set to be printed.

This total of 6.8 million copies marks a notable jump in sales compared to the previous book in the series, “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban,” which managed to sell 3.6 million copies back in 1999.

In comparison to other titles, the only book that came close to this impressive print run last year was John Grisham's “The Testament,” which sold 2.47 million copies.

The record-breaking sales over the weekend can be partially attributed to the impact of e-commerce. Pre-orders at Amazon.com reached around 350,000, while BarnesandNoble.com reported approximately 360,000 pre-publication orders. Furthermore, Amazon claimed to have sold 675,000 pounds of the book.

Additionally, Scholastic announced that the third installment, “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” will be available in paperback on August 15, with a print run of 3.2 million. This will push the total sales of the Harry Potter series beyond 30 million copies within just three years following the release of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.”

For context, “Gone with the Wind,” frequently cited as the best-selling novel in history, has sold over 30 million copies since its publication in 1936.

In a different realm of publishing, Jack Welch may not possess the same magical aura as Harry Potter, but two publishers are betting on the former GE chief to captivate readers once he retires in 2001.

The bidding for Welch's memoir, co-authored with John Byrne from Business Week, skyrocketed on Tuesday, surpassing $5.5 million, with both Warner Books and HarperCollins reportedly vying for the rights. Speculations hinted that the figure could have even reached $7 million, setting a potential record for a business book.An auction is currently underway, overseen by IMG agent Mark Reiter, focusing exclusively on North American rights for hard and soft copies.

It is uncommon for a publishing house to secure such a substantial advance for a book without acquiring foreign rights.

Publishing insiders suggest that to recoup such a hefty advance, the expectation is set on selling around a million hardcover copies, with paperback sales projected to reach into the millions.

If Warner were to secure the book, it would mark its second seven-figure agreement within a fortnight, following the acquisition of Robert Oxnam's memoir on schizophrenia by Warner Trade Publishing President Laurence Kirschbaum.

Both of these deals may be influenced by the anticipated financial gains from Warner's new e-publishing venture, iPublish, bolstered by the financial resources of potential parent company AOL.

Kirschbaum was not available for a statement.

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For over two years, Miramax’s Harvey Weinstein has been fixated on adapting "Mila 18," the renowned 1961 novel by Leon Uris, which depicts the Warsaw ghetto uprising.

On Tuesday, Miramax revealed Hossein Amini as the chosen screenwriter for this project.

Amini, known for his Oscar-nominated work on "The Wings of the Dove," as well as contributions to "Jude" and "Gangs of New York," is currently writing "Four Feathers" for both Miramax and Paramount.

Weinstein expressed his deep admiration for "Mila 18," calling it “one of my favorite books of all time.” He added, “I have high hopes for this to become one of Miramax's most significant films, and we will be meticulous in our casting process.”

He also indicated a desire for Bob Weinstein to co-produce, a rare arrangement between the two brothers.

Initially, Jon Avnet was slated to direct "Mila 18" under Hollywood Pictures, with a script by Paul Brickman.

Avnet is now attached to direct "Uprising," a film based on true events surrounding the Warsaw ghetto uprising, starring Chloe Sevigny.

The deal for Amini was negotiated by Miramax's Jon Gordon, Steve Hutensky, and Stuart Ford, with Amini represented by UTA and Nick Marston from Curtis Brown UK.

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Tonight, Ellis Island will host the premiere of "X-Men," which is expected to be one of the most extravagant launch events in New York since Tina Brown's unveiling of Talk magazine last summer.

Maxim, a publication often criticized as a magazine for young men, is the main sponsor of the event.

Since opening a Los Angeles office last August, Maxim has appointed Claudia Nicolayevsky from Access Hollywood as its West Coast editor and has featured several of this summer's leading actresses on its July and August covers.The premiere of “X-Men” marks a significant milestone, becoming the first event backed by Maxim, as noted by Stephen Colvin, the president of Dennis Publishing US.

If the magazine's circulation growth persists at the current remarkable pace, the possibilities are endless.

For the first half of 2000, Maxim proudly announced a guaranteed circulation rate of 1.5 million, which is set to increase to 2 million in the latter half of the year.

Notably, half of this figure is derived from single copy sales at newsstands.

This impressive performance places Maxim as the third highest in terms of monthly newsstand sales, following behind well-known titles like Cosmopolitan and Glamour.

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