Bestselling novel leads French charts
The novel Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden has become the top-selling book in France, with over 32,000 copies sold in just four days, according to NielsenIQ BookData / Livres Hebdo Top 20. This marks a new commercial direction for the author, whose books are now released in large format editions.French market embrace of McFadden
France has become the second-largest market for Freida McFadden after the United States. Her earlier novel The Housewife gained popularity in three phases: a quiet initial release by City in early 2023, a rise in sales during spring 2024, and a major surge in autumn 2024 with a small-format edition by J'ai lu.Innovative marketing strategies
J'ai lu, the pocket publisher, launched an innovative campaign with the slogan "We read it in less than 2 hours, and you?" to promote The Housewife. This time, the Flammarion subsidiary is repeating a similar strategy with the campaign "I can't... I have Freida," featuring its own employees alongside City, highlighting the close relationship between the two publishers.Special edition boosts sales
The current edition of Dear Debbie includes a special Fnac edition with a different cover, ribbed paper, and gilding, priced higher than the standard version. This edition sold 4,100 copies this week, bringing the total sales of the book to nearly 37,000 copies over the period.Publisher reflects on market trends
Frédéric Thibaud, founder of City, explains that the success of Dear Debbie follows a similar strategy used last year for The Boyfriend. He notes that The Housewife had been on the Top 20 for 94 weeks before disappearing in mid-September. The paperback version of The Boyfriend now holds third place in the rankings.Growing author catalog
The Electre database lists 34 different editions of Freida McFadden’s books, from The Housewife (City, January 2023) to Divorce, a large-format book expected in February 2027. The publisher highlights that the author’s catalog has grown significantly, with more titles to come.Character and reader profile
Dear Debbie follows Debbie Mullen, a stay-at-home mother who writes a newspaper column offering advice to abused women. Before applying her own principles, she takes revenge on her surroundings. While the publisher has not yet identified a typical reader profile, they note that McFadden continues to attract "non-readers who remain."Future plans for the brand
Frédéric Thibaud states that the Freida McFadden brand is now "established" and plans to make it more visible through special editions, network events, and other campaigns. The next major milestone will be the comic book adaptation of The Housewife, expected in November by City in France, with rights sold to the American publisher Sourcebooks.
