What can Kamel Daoud hope to gain with his Goncourt prize?

His first novel sold 250,000 copies. Ten years later, Karim Daoud won the Grail with “Houris”. Will he do as well as Hervé le Tellier, 2020 winner, who sold more than a million copies of “The Anomaly”?

Ten years after releasing his first novel, Kamel Daoud wins the most prestigious literary prize with his latest book, “Houris”. Enough to bode well for a very big hit in bookstores. This novelist has certainly already tasted success with his first novel, “Meursault Counter-investigation” (Actes Sud) sold 250,000 copies. And “Houris” was able to seduce the general public even before winning the Goncourt, since Gallimard, its publisher, had already sold 55,000 copies since its release.

But by winning the Prix Goncourt, Kamel Daoud moves into the higher category. Over the last five years, the average was 577,000 copies according to GFK. With at the top of the bill, the winner of the year 2020, Hervé Le Tellier who can be proud of having crossed the million copies mark of “The Anomaly”a novel that has since been translated into 45 languages.

A novelist receives 10 to 15% of tax-free sales

Conversely, the Goncourt 2022, awarded to Brigitte Giraud for “Live Free”, certainly allowed this novel to enjoy honorable success, but without exceeding 300,000 copies. In all cases, a Goncourt allows the winner to win a lot of money. Not the price as such. The check for 10 euros given to the winner more often ends up framed than in his bank account. But the sales they generate.

A novelist receives, according to the Scam, between 10 and 15% of the tax-free sales of his book, the upper range being reserved for those who have negotiated their contract very well. Still, with a book sold between 18 and 25 euros, the author who wins the Grail will earn at least 2 euros per copy sold. In other words, if he wasn't a millionaire before, he generally becomes one afterwards.

Which is less true for the other major literary prizes. Still according to GFK, between 2019 and 2023, the average for the Renaudot prize reached 211,000 copies compared to 157,000 for the Femina and 145,000 for the Académie française prize. Please note, however, that we are talking about exceptional sales levels for publishing. In France, the vast majority of books rarely exceed 5000 copies. And the average for a first novel is limited to 800 copies.