In 1995, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon Movies claimed that 2.5 million copies of the book had been sold; however, the book did not appear on a 2001 Publishers Weekly list of "hardcovers that have sold 750,000 copies and paperbacks that have topped the one million copy mark."

For example, I find (and these numbers are confirmed by average best-seller printings) that I sell hard-cover books, trade (oversize) paperbacks and mass-market paperbacks in a ratio of 1 to 3 to 10.

The passengers were just starting to return to their seats as we pushed our way into the entrance, which was part shop selling souvenirs and paperbacks.

They can be an opportunity for us as long as we can sell them in the same way we sell paperbacks and hardbacks.

Ms. Friedman said she had created a special sales force to sell rack-size paperbacks to the discounters, increasing sales 30 percent in two years.

Last week, Amazon.com's prices were 10 percent higher across the board - it was selling best sellers at 40 percent off, hardcover books at 20 percent off and paperbacks at 10 percent off.

He sells paperbacks a dime apiece.

But nothing - particularly not selling paperbacks at five for a dollar - could defeat the curse of rising rents.

The merchants sell T-shirts and chic lingerie, dream books and intellectually challenging paperbacks.

The ultimate aim for Harlequin is to translate its phenomenal success in selling paperbacks into the direct sales of videocassettes.