Before HBO’s Game of Thrones premiered in 2011, A Song of Ice and Fire had sold roughly 12–15 million copies worldwide. A commonly cited figure is about 15 million at the time of the show’s debut, though some estimates put it closer to 12 million.

Context

  • The first book, A Game of Thrones , initially sold only a few thousand copies, then grew slowly by word of mouth.
  • The TV series dramatically expanded the audience and pushed total series sales far higher afterward.

Simple answer

If you want the shortest version: about 15 million copies had been sold before the HBO series began.

Note on estimates

Different sources give slightly different pre-show totals because they count at different moments in 2011 and use different sales data. That’s why you’ll see both 12 million and 15 million cited.