In the first flush of sales I get a weekly email from my publisher telling me exactly how many to the very last book. It's hugely exciting.
This then tails off and I get the odd email when I reach a milestone figure.
HB x

a weekly email from my publisher telling me exactly how many to the very last book. It's hugely exciting.

Though disheartening when the returns start trundling back, of course...

Emma

Well I only get details of books through the tills Emma, not what's been ordered ( though I'm told ball park figures of advance orders from Smiths, the Supers etc). I'm not sure how it works but I've never had any returns.
HB x

Ah, so you're getting the Nielsen figures, not your publishers' - that makes sense.

Emma

Yes, that's what they say, Emma.
This weeks Neilsen figures are ...
Do others not get this?
HB x

Nope. When I asked my editor, she had to go away and look up the figures.

But TBH, I'd really rather not have frequent updates. There's bugger all you can do about it, and I know it would just a) make me panic thinking 'There must be more I can do', or b) make me panic about the WIP, on the grounds of 'how do I do it again like that?' or 'how do I make sure it doesn't happen again like that?' depending on whether they're better or worse this week.

Emma

Also figures on their own don't really mean much. It might be more worthwhile asking your publisher how the book is doing. Figures that seem low or high to you may be interpreted differently by the publisher (who hopefully knows the market and how other books are selling) and there may be reasons (like the stage in a sales or ordering period or whether any marketing has been done) that could help interpret the abstract numbers.