The Leaky Cauldron writes:

Thanks to all the readers who mailed about the new contest the Miami Herald is holding asking fans to write their own final chapter to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.” In 300 words or less, submissions entered by June 21 from those 18 years and younger may be the winners of a free copy of the last Harry Potter book as well as free tickets to an advance screening of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Along with Herald columnist Sue Corbett, the judge for this contest will be noted (and very funny) author Dave Barry. Good luck!

Link

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows US, UK, and UK adult cover art, from left to right:

Links to larger versions:

• Large US cover
  
• Large UK cover (including back)
• Large UK adult art (including back)

The jacket text on the UK covers reads:

Harry has been burdened with a dark, dangerous and seemingly impossible task: that of locating and destroying Voldemort’s remaining Horctuxes. Never has Harry felt so alone, or faced a future so full of shadows. But Harry must somehow find within himself the strength to complete the task he has been given. He must leave the warmth, safety and companionship of The Burrow and follow without fear or hesitation the inexorable path laid out for him…

In this final, seventh instalment of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling unveils in spectacular fashion the answers to many questions that have been so eagerly awaited. The spellbinding, richly woven nerrative, which plunges, twists and turns at a breathtaking pace, confirms the author as a mistress of storytelling, whose books will be read, reread and read again.

Publisher Scholastic Corp. said on Wednesday it would release a record-breaking 12 million copies for the first U.S. printing of “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” which hits stores on July 21.

Reuters has the full story. To compare, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince had a first printing of 10.8 million copies.

The New York Times has another story on The Higher Power of Lucky. According to the article, it all started when librarian Dana Nilsson posted a complaint on the LM-Net listserv. A passage I found amusing:

The book was in the high 600s on Amazon before Nilsson’s comments were publicized, but soon jumped into the top 40. Simon & Schuster had already ordered an extra 100,000 copies after the Newbery was announced.

Continue reading on NYTimes.com.

AP reports:

It’s months away from being on bookshelves, but fans can’t get enough of the seventh - and final - Harry Potter book, no matter the cost.

Not only is “Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows” topping the charts of Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com, a deluxe edition, priced at $65, is No. 2, outselling the “You” diet book, Sen. Barack Obama and an Oprah Winfrey-endorsed memoir by Sidney Poitier.

Full article can be found here.

The Wall Street Journal notes:

The price is $5 higher than author J.K. Rowling’s most recent book, and a sign that Scholastic is intent on maximizing its profits on what is expected to be the last in the Potter series.

Aggressive price discounting by big book retailers such as Amazon.com Inc. and Barnes & Noble Inc. means many consumers will be able to buy the book for $20 or less, however. Amazon.com is now taking preorders for $18.89, as is Barnes & Noble, which will charge $20.99 or $18.89 for members of its book club.

Carl Howe posted a few thoughts relating to the price on SeekingAlpha. An excerpt:

I find it ironic that this whining about book prices is being run the Friday before the Super Bowl, when attendees will an average of $5,540 per ticket for an afternoon’s entertainment. That’s just me, though.

More seriously, however, pricing the Harry Potter books is a serious marketing challenge.

View the full article here.

Anticipation over the ending of the best-selling Harry Potter series reached new heights today as J. K. Rowling announced today on her site that:

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be published on Saturday 21st July 2007 at 00:01 BST in the UK and at 00:01 in the USA. It will also be released at 00:01 BST on Saturday 21st July in other English speaking countries around the world.

BBC News says:

[Bloomsbury] said it would publish a children’s hardback edition, an adult hardback, a special gift edition and an audio book on the same day.

As well as making Rowling a dollar billionaire, the books have been credited with bringing children back to reading and reviving the British film industry.

The Independent recently put up a review of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. It came out in the US some time ago, but was released in the United Kingdom in hardcover today (with a fresh cover). Here’s an excerpt:

How do you write a fresh story about the Holocaust? Australian novelist Markus Zusak has cracked it with The Book Thief, which sailed to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Here The Book Thief is being published simultaneously for both teenage readers and for adults, and a Hollywood weepie is on the cards.

View the full review here.