Arnoldo Mondadori Editore around the world, of which around 300,000 in Italy, with the aim of supporting the process of growth in digital for books. In 2012 Mondadori publishes Fifty Shades of Grey, the first volume of the erotic trilogy by debut London author E L James, rapidly followed by the two other titles, Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed. The trilogy sees in Italy the same kind of unprecedented success it gained in the English-language world: with more than 3.3 million copies sold in Italy and 130,000 downloads of the electronic version, the three volumes reach first, third and fourth position
Fifty Shades of Grey "Fifty Shades" trilogy as an example of viral marketing and of the rise in popularity of female erotica, attributing its success to the discreet nature of e-reading devices. Due to the heightened interest in the series, the license to the "Fifty Shades" trilogy was picked up by Vintage Books for re-release in a new and revised edition in April 2012. The attention that the series has garnered has also helped to spark a renewed interest in erotic literature. Many other erotic works quickly became best-sellers following "Fifty Shades" success, while other popular works, such as Anne Rice's "The Sleeping Beauty"