Many industries do mid-year assessments, and at the end of June, the publishing world did the same. As it turns out, Prince Harry’s Spare is still the biggest nonfiction book of the year, and likely the biggest books of the year. Per Forbes: “Prince Harry And Self-Help Books Dominate The 2023 Non-Fiction Bestseller List.” What I like about Forbes’ piece is they list the number of print copies sold for all books, so you can see how Spare is way ahead of the nonfiction pack. And again, this is just for print copies, hardbacks sold in the US. Spare was and is a huge bestseller abroad, it’s been translated into like fifty languages AND people bought a lot of copies of the audiobook.
Prince Harry owns the No. 1 bestselling nonfiction title so far this year, with more than 1 million print copies of his 400-page memoir Spare sold in the U.S.
THE TOP FIVE BOOKS:
1: Spare by Prince Harry the Duke of Sussex (1,174,137 print copies sold). Published in 2023.
2: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear (587,718 copies sold in 2023). Published in 2018.
3: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel Van Der Kolk (289,701 copies sold). Published in 2015.
4: The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene (277,966 copies sold). Published in 2000.
5: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz (247,211 copies sold). Published in 1997.
Adult nonfiction sales got off to a slow start this year, lagging behind the growing adult and young adult fiction sectors, Bookscan reported. But “Spare” changed all that when it became one of the fastest-selling nonfiction books for adults since 2004, and one of the top three bestsellers in week-one sales. Only Barack Obama’s “A Promised Land” (2020) and Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” (2018) outsold “Spare” in week one. Prince Harry’s read is the only new release at the top of the bestselling nonfiction book list so far this year, which is padded out by self-help books. The self-help industry exploded between 2013 and 2019, rising from 30,897 published titles to 85,253. Motivational and inspirational books have been the most popular subject in the self-help category, Bookscan reported, followed by books that focus on creativity.
Spare sold almost twice the number of copies as the next best-selling nonfiction book. That’s insane. Part of me wonders if Spare’s enormous success is part of the reason why the media douchebags are being so extra about how and why they criticize the Sussexes these days.
Speaking of, every royal reporter and culture/media reporter is still singlemindedly focused on the end of the Sussexes’ Spotify deal. It definitely feels like there were a lot of people sharpening their knives for the past three years, just waiting for the moment when there was one “bad” piece of news about the Sussexes’ business. The wall-to-wall obsession from American and British media is starting to remind me of the UK coverage of South Park’s mockery – like, you would have thought that was the first time South Park ever mocked a celebrity from the way it was being covered. So too with this Spotify thing – you would think the Sussexes were the first people to ever end a deal with a podcast company. The Daily Beast did a piece this week about just how many celebrities’ podcasts “failed” – Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, Bruce Springsteen & Barack Obama, Alicia Silverstone, Lena Dunham, Amy Schumer, etc. All are failed podcasters. I’d just like to point out that despite the gleefully mean-spirited commentary on the Sussexes… like, Archetypes WAS successful. And I’m interested in a second season, which will hopefully be housed somewhere else.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
A general view of Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’ on sale at Waterstones bookshop at Piccadilly, London, England, UK on Tuesday 10 January, 2023. The retailer opened its doors early at 8am for customers to purchase the book.,Image: 748668805, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon 
A stock image of Prince Harry’s memoir ‘Spare’ in front of Buckingham Palace, London, England, UK on Tuesday 10 January, 2023, which went on sale today.,Image: 748708660, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: Please credit photographer and agency when publishing as Justin Ng/UPPA/Avalon., Model Release: no, Credit line: Justin Ng / Avalon 
London, UNITED KINGDOM – Prince Harry’s memoir “Spare” goes on sale at midnight at WH Smith bookstore in Victoria Station, London. Pictured: General view BACKGRID USA 10 JANUARY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
Los Angeles, CA – Prince Harry’s memoir was released Tuesday, not only offering new details on the British royal family’s bitter internal feud after days of bombshell revelations and promotional interviews but also describing how he fell headlong in love with his future wife, Meghan Markle. While many of the details from the book, titled “Spare,” have already been reported, its release at midnight Monday local time (7 p.m. ET) will allow the public to get their hands on a copy of a memoir filled with glimpses into a rarified family riven by disagreement and distrust. The title of the Dutch version is called Reserve. Pictured: Prince Harry’s memoir BACKGRID USA 10 JANUARY 2023 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication* 
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