Potter Sales Smash Own Record

1.4 Million Advance Orders Placed For Book 6 On Amazon

(CBS/AP)  Amazon.com Inc. said the sixth Harry Potter book, set for release later this week, has already broken records to become the online retailer's best new product release ever.

Amazon said it has received 1.4 million advance orders on its global Web sites for "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," according to Tuesday's press release. The book is scheduled to be in stores Saturday. Book 5 of the Harry Potter series was previously the company's best new product release, and more than 1.3 million copies of that book were ordered before its June 2003 release.

The feat furthered Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling's status as Amazon's best-selling author. The online retailer, celebrating its 10th anniversary, announced its biggest sellers earlier this month, with Rowling no surprise at No. 1. The "Harry Potter" author was followed by Spencer Johnson of "Who Moved My Cheese?" fame, romance novelist Nora Roberts and "The Da Vinci Code" author Dan Brown.