PAULO COELHO: Brazilian Star Seeks U.S. Breakout by Martin Pedersen PW Book News Brazilian novelist PAULO COELHO is hardly an unknown in the U.S. Last year his The Alchemist sold 280,000 copies in trade paperback, landing on PW's bestseller list. But that kind of success here is dwarfed by his worldwide appeal. His four books -- appearing in 42 countries, and translated into 26 languages -- have sold more than 7.5 million copies. Joel Fotinos, marketing manager for Harper San Francisco, Coelho's U.S. publisher, said, ''He is one of the 15 bestselling authors in the world, and nobody in this country really knows that.'' Fotinos and colleagues will attempt to change that lack of perception in June with the publication of Coelho's latest American release, By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, a lyrical tale about the magical and mysterious powers of love and God. The publisher plans to back a 50,000 - copy hardcover print run with a $75,000 marketing campaign that includes publicity by a New York firm, ads in the New York Times Book Review and other major newspapers and a merchandising kit aimed at booksellers. Fotinos added, ''He's always been sold here either through readers'' word of mouth, or handselling. Now we're looking for national media attention. The success of The Alchemist did present Harper San Francisco with a unique opportunity. In 1992 Coelho's The Diary of a Magus sold a modest 10,000 colpies. After The Alchemist became a bestseller in 1995, however, the publisher redesigned the earlier release, publishing it later in the year under a new title, The Pilgrimage. That version went on to sell 62,000 copies in trade paper. Still, these numbers pale in comparison to Coelho's sales in Europe and Latin America. In France--where The Alchemist spent 92 consecutive weeks on the bestseller lists -- his books have sold more than a million copies. Recently, in his native country, Coelho signed with a new publisher, Editora Objetiva, receiving for his next book an advance of $530,000, a staggering sum for Brazilian publishing. Mount Five, his latest novel, will appear there in August. Uberto Feith, editorial director at Editora Objetiva, speculates on what it might take for Coelho to reach the viability in the U.S. that he possesses worldwide. ''The way for him to really break out there will be through a movie,'' Feith explained, adding that all of Coelho's books have been optioned. Actress Isabel Adjani has secured the film rights for By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept. -- MARTIN PEDERSEN