Hillary Clinton got a $14 million advance for her second memoir-ish book about her Senate career, presidential campaign and tenure as Secretary of State. It seemed like a no-brainer for the publishing world: of course she was going to write another book and of course it was going to be a bestseller. Well… things haven’t worked out completely. While Hard Choices made it to #1 on the NY Times bestseller list, there has been a steep drop-off in sales in subsequent weeks.
Sales of Hillary Clinton’s “Hard Choices” continued to plunge as new figures were released Wednesday. According to Nielsen BookScan, Clinton’s book sold just 16,000 copies in its most recent week, down from 28,000 a week prior. The title has sold 177,000 in its first month.
Simon & Schuster reportedly gave Clinton a $14 million advance after her last book for the publisher sold 438,000 in its first week.
Clinton’s tome was toppled from the No. 1 spot on the New York Times best-seller list by Edward Klein’s Clinton “exposé,” “Blood Feud,” which sold 20,000 copies in the last week. However, BookScan measures only 85 percent of the market and not e-books.
Granted, this comes from Page Six, part of the NY Post, which is part of Rupert Murdoch’s empire. The conservative media wants Hillary to fail. That’s obvious. But I’m starting to wonder if Hillary really isn’t this “sure thing” that everyone in the beltway thinks she is. Granted, most writers would LOVE to sell 177,000 books in one month. But it is a notable decline in interest since Living History. Maybe the difference is that everybody’s got it on Kindle now? Could be.
Incidentally, Page Six also said (a few days ago) that Simon & Schuster’s executives are all yelling and in-fighting about the Hillary book deal. Huh.
Photos of Hillary and French President Francois Hollande on the 8th, courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
I think it means only that she has had the most horrendous press tour in recent memory. From her ridiculous comments about how they were “dirt poor” when they left the WH to lamenting that they didn’t know if they would get approved for their mortgages – plural – ……just completely tone deaf. And further insisting that one is not tone deaf only adds to the problem. I hope she bounces back but goodness she has not shown herself very well at ALL in recent weeks.
This exactly. She’s coming across as less than honest.
I agree-she is less than honest. And so out of touch, it’s sad..I am sure that 14 million will be a decent band-aid. Meanwhile, I am going to figure out what lottery numbers to pick (really how much overtime I can get at work) so that I can pay my mechanic 700.00 bucks. Maybe I should start writing…
Less than honest. Quite the understatement regarding a woman who claimed she ran from a helicopter while under fire, ducking and weaving, when she was actually being greeted by schoolchildren. She wouldn’t know honest if it slapped her.
I agree about the press tour. She proved to be very unlikable. Also,she got defensive when she did an interview with NPR. They are about as liberal as you can get and she lost her cool there too.
Yes, this exactly.
Yes, the press tour has not been going well. Unfortunately the Republicans will have a lot of negative sound bytes from this tour to use against her if she runs for President again.
Well, Clinton’s are shady bunch. Especially Hillary, she was cought in not telling the truth or misleading facts so many times that is very hard to take her seriously. The way she responds when she is being called on or just her lack of responsibilities and self rightness that gets to me. I personally feel bad for her and us, she is our female hopeful and we are stuck with her for now.
It’s still only 2014. This press tour won’t matter in a year’s time with all of the other candidates.
I can’t stand the fact that people are now starting to put their bid in and/or start to look at the possibilities of running for President 2 years before the actual election.
M.A.F. They kind of have to start now.
Since there isn’t an incumbent on either side, both will have primaries starting in early 2016, and that gives all interested candidates 2015 to get their names out there. All of them need to spend 2014 fundraising and getting donors in line. Yes, it is completely insane, but it is the way the system works.
Good points, Abby.
The fundraising is sooooo important to political campaigns, they start as early as they can start receiving money.
For some states like Iowa, the campaign season NEVER ends. Lets start placing bets as to how many politicans have photo ops at the Iowa State Fair this year.
Tiffany, I imagine anyone who is really interested in running. 🙂
I WISH money wasn’t so important. I would pledge to vote for anyone who didn’t send me junk mail or call my house at all hours of the day.
It’s already started in Cleveland. RNC name Cleveland as the host of their convention.
14 mil advance?? Woah.
Right? That’s what caught me too!
…That nobody wants to buy it?
What does it mean? I know what I’d like it to predict but if they want her in, she’ll be prez.
It means that the publisher will never make back the advance they paid her, and other “little” writers won’t get any advances at all in order to make up for the loss.
Unless they’re being published through an e-first line, writers will still get advances. Fewer contracts may be offered, but not offering an advance at all would mean changing the entire business model and paying legal to create new contracts for those specific authors. (Authors are initially given the company’s boilerplate contract, which they, their agent or a literary attorney can negotiate.)
(Sorry. I work in the publishing industry and couldn’t resist commenting.)
No one Is a “sure thing”, we’re too early in the game for that. Although I do wonder if the rape case had anything to do with her decline in book sales?
People are tiring of her. She’s been all over the media (and I understand she’s trying to promote her book, but I feel like a lot of the press coming out about her has been mostly negative). If she wants to make a run for president, she needs to start laying low for a bit, imo.
I heard not too long ago that Hillary is on the board of directors for Monsanto? Does anyone here know if that is true or not? If it is true, that really changes my opinion of her…..
She was one of their lawyers when she worked for the Rose Law Firm in the 1980s. I’ve never seen anything reliable on what that meant: was she the senior partner in charge of their account? One of several? Assumed to be part of their legal team because she was a partner in their firm? It’s not clear.
She’s never been on their Board of Directors, though.
No, she’s not on Monsanto’s Board of Directors. Here’s their Board:
http://www.monsanto.com/whoweare/pages/board-of-directors.aspx
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe every president since the first Bush has had Monsanto members in positions in the government, including Obama. Republican or Democrat, the corporations are winning either way. I don’t like Hillary, she is conniving and dishonest. She is not a sure thing.
Totally agree. She is too old, too cranky, and conniving.
I don’t know if she’s on monsantos board, but she recently spoke at a biotech conference, spouting on about her support for GMOs. She also voted yes on Iraq invasion, yes on patriot act, pushed for keystone pipeline. In other words, she toes the company line and does not care what the people want. I would love to see woman as president, just not that one.
Tessy, I agree. We need a woman, but not that one.
Yeah. She’s surprisingly right of center. I dunno – I’ve been a card-carrying Democrat all my life, and I’ve never really liked her all that much. I’ll say one thing: she’d probably make a really tough President.
The Republicans have no one except their usual gang of yammering yahoos (Jindal, Rubio, Perry, Rand Paul, the saintly Jeb Bush, etc.), so the run up to 2016 should be interesting. I have no idea what’s going to happen.
She has time to recover. You can’t count out Joe Biden (and I’m saying that with a dead serious straight face). He’s one of the best statesmen the US has and won’t want to be VP (again) or State Secretary.
Either he runs for the Presidency in 2016 or he doesn’t. I don’t think the Constitution has it laid out where he can be the Vice President candidate again for a third time even if it is under someone else.
Right. I’m saying he won’t want to be anyone’s VP again.
He could serve as VP again. The 22nd Amendment only covers the Presidency.
That being said, there’s no way he’d want to and no way Clinton would want him. That’s nothing against Biden. He just doesn’t balance the ticket the way he did with Obama. An older candidate like Clinton or, for that matter, Biden) would typically want to be paired with a younger VP.
I read parts of Double Down (the sequel to Game Change) and at the time Obama was running for re-election, Joe formed a committee to explore his chances for the POTUS in 2016. According to the book, the Obama supporters were furious over that and told Joe to shut it down because the only focus should be re-electing BO.
Yeah so Joe is interested.
I said I read parts because Double Down was sort of boring. It’s not as fascinating as Game Change. Of course they didn’t have nuts like Palin in DD.
Man, was Double Down a disappointment. I think it was the combo of the no-Drama Obama team being the only players on the Dem side and dull Romney on the other side. Game Change was awesome because of the craziness of Palin and there was so much bitterness on on the McCain and Clinton teams that they leaked info to the authors like crazy. In 2012, the authors didn’t have bitter staffers to give them great scoop.
Ok-Double Down was on my list-I loved Game Change-but I think I’ll skip it.
Maybe it means that everyone read her first book, remembered that she doesn’t actually tell you anything you want to know, and figured they could skip this one.
I can tolerate one magazine article’s worth of platitudes. TWO books full of them? No. (And I will vote for her if she runs.)
I’ll vote for her (barring Elizabeth Warren or Bernie Sanders running) but I don’t need to read her book. I don’t think book sales mean a thing as far as elections.
She’s taken the blame for a lot of the controversies over the last few years, so this doesn’t surprise me.
To me it says people should remember Living History was published in 2003. That’s like saying a band didn’t sell as many albums as they did 11 years ago (and digital sales aren’t going to be counted) so they bombed. There are a lot of little things she can be called out for like the infuriating crap surrounding a possible presidential campaign and a less than awesome press tour but the main takeaway for me is a reminder that media sales can not be compared to a decade ago.
I was a huge Hillary Clinton supporter in 2008 and I will still vote for her if she runs for president again. I don’t know if anyone feels the same as I, but I am just not as excited about the Democratic Party in general anymore. I’m more jaded and I think many people are about the Clintons, the Obamas, and the rest of the Democratic Party. Times are especially tough on the average American. Why would the average person, even a loyal Democrat, shell out the money to read about her years in the Obama administration? It doesn’t seem all that interesting to me. Sure, I might read it someday, but it doesn’t seem as intriguing as Living History which was about her life in general and a more intriguing era of her life as First Lady. I think most people would rather read that than a predictable book about her choices as secretary of state. But just because I didn’t buy her book doesn’t mean I won’t vote for her.
She is a liar and has committed treason.
I am going to ruffle feathers but I could care less. Hilary Clinton can’t win. She is far too old guard which when discussing American politics is a bit of an oxymoron. But she is being touted as the only option and people hate being told they only have one option and that’s why she lost in 2008 and why her power level has fallen. The best thing she could do is retire, fade into oblivion and let some other female left wing candidate run for president. My thoughts as a Canadian are that I think what is hapening in the American government is the beginning of what has been happening in Canada for the past 20 years just on a larger scale which means it is going to be more tumultuous. But the old guard in the government in Canada has been falling apart for a long time. First it happened in the Liberal Party in Canada which got sent into exile due to numerous coruption scandals. Now I am 100% positive it is about to happen to to the Conservative Party next election and I am convinced that the only real reason the Tories have lasted this long is 1) Corporate and government interference from the U.S. and 2) Time for the Liberals to get out of the wilderness and rebuild which they now have – for better or for worse.
The problem with the U.S. is that there is no difference between the parties in the U.S.and both are corrupt. Without anyone to step in and put a stop to corporate influences nothing will be done. In Canada, at least obe party had a meltdown and now the other party is about to have a meltdown which means that the other party can take over and we have a solid 3rd party which also helps. I really believe and am hopeful that change is coming to the U.S. and I think a good start is that citzens are now recognizing that they do not live in the democratic society that they force on the rest of the world but a twisted oligarchal version of the board game Monopoly. I hope change comes soon because what happens inthe U.S. has an effect on what happens here in Canada and I worry about the economic devastation that could reign on this continent if things are allowed to continue as they have been.
I believe you to be correct. What I don’t understand is how people are just now seeing this, and also how they desperately cling to the belief that it is just the Republicans. People take so much stock in defending these two parties of people, who in reality, care so little about them, the whole thing is a little sickening.
I think maybe the reason the book isn’t selling as much as expected is because she didn’t trash anyone or say much of anything negative in it. Didn’t read it, just read several reviews. Also read an article that compared her book sales to some of the Republican possible presidential contenders and she’s sold way more than all of them combined. So I guess her sales are a matter of perspective.
I know why I am not reading her book, because the Clintons have been in the public eye for so many years, almost over exposed, that is there really isn’t anything new to read about her. I am not paying full price for a newly released hardback cover book about or by Hillary Clinton. If anything I wait till it gets to my local used book store, then I will buy it.
Get it for free — borrow from the library!
what outstanding political background does she have to run for president? people complain about the nepotism in US politics but she was literally the first lady and then a senator? and then secretary of state – a position where she failed even the most basic duties and ugh dont even mention benghazi. people arent buying what shes selling. shes a joke and good god i hope she doesnt become the next president.
Uh, Reagan was an actor and then governor of California; W. owned a baseball team and was the governor of Texas. Hilary can at least approximate their level of “outstanding political background” because she was a senator and the Secretary of State. I doubt that she could do worse as president than W. – not many other presidents have done.
That said, I’m still not much of a fan of hers (but she’s certainly better than anything the Republicans are offering).
I thinks it means we are at “Hillary-saturation” point.
This isn’t necessarily because of her, herself. But partly because of the 24/7 news. Even when she was out of the public eye, pundits were still talking about her EVERY day because they’re obsessed with the 2016 Presidential Election. It only took a few days after the 2012 one when they turned around and started asking so what does this mean for 2016?
She’s caught in a strange place. Too establishment for some, too radical for others, too much estrogen for some, while others are blinded by it. IF she gets the nomination it will probably come down to her opponent. We love to vote the worst out rather than the best in. So Rick Perry, step right up.
Seeing Mel Gibson and Hillary Clinton together would be the best gossiptastic coupling of the decade. Hard choices indeed.
I just have to say, that coat is the WORST!!
I know, right? She needs to go back to her sensible pantsuits.
I think that people are just as tired of Clinton’s as they are Bushes. That doesn’t bode well for Hilary or Jeb Bush.
It amazes me that there are people who would even consider voting for her, given the last few years and some of her more insane sound-bytes, and her complete lack of any accomplishments to qualify her for the Presidency. Surely there are other women who qualify to run just as much or more than she does.
I just cant see the Clintons back in the Whitehouse..I just cant see it. I understand that Bill’s controversies were not hers..but she just sat back and seemingly “took” being cheated on. Come on..I want someone in there with some backbone. And if thats not it..was it because she needed him to get back in the WH? Idk..I think we need some new blood. Someone with all their marbles.
I agree that there is legacy fatigue, but I don’t agree that she doesn’t have any accomplishments. She has been a Senator, a Cabinet member and has a ton of experience in many areas of policy. Honestly, I don’t know who would have more experience than her. But, a good President isn’t made by experience alone, so I am not fully Team Hillary.
Hillary is part of the problem, Elizabeth Warren or bust!
Elizabeth Warren has said that Mao Zedong is one of her heroes. Mao Zedong killed 45~million of his countrymen, and he is the worst mass murderer in history.
link please? and not to Fox News.
I think you’re actually confusing her with Anita Dunn who worked in the Obama administration. Dunn is the one who quotes Mao on a regular basis. Warren is the one claiming an imaginary Native American background.
To RobN:
I stand corrected. Anita Dunn idolizes the mass murderer Mao. Elizabeth Warren is the one who declared herself to be left of Chairman Mao. On that basis alone, I would not want her to be president of the United States.
Elizabeth Warren is a BAD ASS. She is one of the very few people who have stood up to the big financial institutions, and even though they poured money into the opposition she still won her seat. She is well spoken and stuffed full of common sense. She is my dream candidate.
What it means is that we can vote for Elizabeth Warren (please run!) instead. Dignity over scrunchies please.
I don’t know that making money was the purpose for the book. I think it was to put her version of events out there (as opposed to what others have said), and to desensitize controversy to the point that it’s old news by election day.
I love the thought that we may soon have our first female president. My personal problem with her politics has to do with the fact that she’s a hawk and voted for the Iraq war and the Patriot Act. The problem is, a female politician is often portrayed as weak – a female candidate has to compensate for that. It used to be predicted that the first woman president would have to be conservative to get elected. Hillary is not conservative, but she is a hawk and a moderate.
I will be very sad if Biden runs against Clinton. I hate that infighting. I was very torn in 2008 – my heart said vote for Hillary, but my head said vote for Obama. It will be the same with Biden. I absolutely love him, and I even love that he’s so honest that he often puts his foot in his mouth. My cousin is a rabid Republican who thinks every powerful woman is a lesbian. He had a friend in secret service who shares his politics. This friend was assigned to Jill Biden and absolutely raves about her, and has very little bad to say about Joe.
Even if Hillary loses, she will continue to be a trail blazer. She’s certainly the first serious female candidate we’ve ever had. Each time a woman runs, she makes it that much easier for a woman to win. Just like Obama probably wouldn’t have been elected without the trail being blazed by Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and David Palmer 😉
I’m not trying to hurt your feelings, but I live in Delaware, and Joe Biden puts his foot in his mouth because he’s not all that bright, and he is not a very honest person.
He has been saying for years that his first wife was killed by a drunk driver, exploiting that tragedy to gain sympathy and votes. The truck driver who accidentally fell asleep at the wheel was tested for drugs and alcohol and he had NOT been drinking. He is dead now, but most people in Delaware knew who he was, and it was extremely painful to him and his family for Biden to continually lie about this fact. The family sued him, but in DE you can’t defame a deceased person, so it was thrown out, but he promised to stop saying it. He never did stop, and said as recently as last year that she was killed by a man “who drank his lunch.”
Joe Biden’s son, Beau, took and failed the bar exam twice, the maximum number of times you can sit for the exam. Biden intervened, and the law or statute or whatever was changed so you can sit for the exam an unlimited amount of times.
Biden is very likable on the surface, and I think his wife is very nice, but he’s no saint. And he’s not smart enough to be president.
Yep. He’s also a serial plagiarist. And WAY too old to run IMO.
You didn’t hurt my feelings. People shouldn’t talk politics if they can’t handle dissenting opinions. My father died indirectly from a man driving drunk. The uninsured/unlicensed drunk driver slammed into my mom’s car, and then hit her even harder while trying to escape. My dad arrived at the scene, asked my mom if she was ok, then collapsed in full cardiac arrest and died at the scene.
I personally do not feel bitter, but I would certainly understand why someone would be. Joe Biden’s wife and daughter were killed by another driver. Sleepy drivers are now considered as dangerous as drunk drivers, and there is a push to prosecute them the same. I’m sad that this poor guy and his family were hurt, but at least they were alive.
i live near the bidens. jill biden LOVES being famous and name drops constantly. her security detail is a bunch of over grown frat boys taking advantage of their position. they block peoples cars when they dont have to. they cut in line when they dont have to. they enter ladies changing rooms without knocking. they will walk right into you and laugh at you. so anything her security detail says is probably the opposite of what i would think.
joe, his wife and his kids are all super entitled acting and i would vote for anyone who runs against him.
Mayamae, I am just so sorry about your parents. How sad for you.
My point was not that Biden had no reason to be bitter, but that he lies about the circumstances of his wife’s death to gain sympathy.
It means she needed to take more chances in the book. She’s already running for office and the book was to safe and too soft on Bill.
I think it’s mainly because the book is dry – it’s basically a crash course 101 in international relations.