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Andrea Burnett
Chronicle Books
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WATCH OUT, HARRY, THERE'S ANOTHER WIZARD IN THE KITCHEN!
Oprah Appearance, #2 Amazon Placement Pushes Forward Chronicle Release

SAN FRANCISCO (June 25, 2003): "Damn, that was good!" exclaimed Oprah Winfrey after tasting Michel Nischan's Sweet Potato Brulee, an endorsement that shot the chef's new book, Taste Pure and Simple, to the top of Amazon.com's bestseller list, second only to the new Harry Potter book. "This is my new favorite cookbook!"

Publishing success stories are nothing new when it comes to the Oprah Winfrey show, but the story making publishing industry news is about how a sleeper title from San Francisco-based Chronicle Books tangoed with NY Times bestsellers Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Hillary Clinton's Living History and Oprah Book Club pick East of Eden, emerging in second place on the Amazon bestseller list for two days running.

Michel Nischan, the Chef at Heartbeat, New York's W Hotel restaurant, creates meals that focus on using pure ingredients, shunning the use of butter and heavy dairy products, which mask food's natural flavors. His first cookbook, Taste Pure and Simple, slated to be released July 1, 2003, from Chronicle Books, was expected to sell a few thousand copies, numbers that represent solid success for hardcover cookbook sales.

After Nischan's Oprah appearance on Monday, June 23, 2003, the book's release date was pushed to [DATE???] and the print run increased to [HOW MANY???], in hopes of accommodating the hundreds of thousands of Amazon preorders. Chronicle also expects bookstores to up their order quantities of the title in response to dramatically increased consumer demand.

"We're all amazed at the instant success of Michel's book," says Alicia Bergin, Marketing Manager at Chronicle Books. "While we expected Taste Pure and Simple to do well, Michel's Oprah appearance set new publishing records. It just goes to show how, even in this trying economy, the power of a strong media hit can spell instant success for worthy authors and publishers."

Chronicle Books, innovative publisher of cooking, design, architecture, photography, art and novelty titles, is no stranger to unexpected success. The company's most recent success story was the explosion of the Worse Case Scenario series, which was launched with an initial 25,000 print run and, thanks to a remarkable publicity effort, now has five million copies in print. Chronicle also published Nick Bantock's Griffin & Sabine (1991); originally slated for an edition of 10,000, this interactive book became the most talked-about title of the year and a New York Times bestseller for 50 weeks.

About Chronicle Books
Inspired by the enduring magic and importance of books, the objective of Chronicle Books is to create and distribute exceptional publishing that is instantly recognizable for its spirit, creativity and value. One of the most admired and respected publishing companies in the US, Chronicle Books was founded in 1966 and, over the years, has developed a reputation for award-winning, innovative books. The company continues to challenge conventional publishing wisdom, setting trends in both subject and format, maintaining a list that includes fine art titles in design, art, architecture and photography. To visit Chronicle Books online, go to www.chroniclebooks.com.

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