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NYT: Sales Lag for Book on Deep Throat
New York Times ^ | August 17, 2005 | EDWARD WYATT

Posted on 08/17/2005 6:26:53 AM PDT by OESY

It is the ultimate Washington story, told by the ultimate Washington chronicler. But in Washington and just about everywhere else, sales of "The Secret Man," Bob Woodward's story of the source known as Deep Throat, have been underwhelming.

At Politics and Prose, a well-known independent bookstore in Washington, sales were "not very good, compared to expectations," said Mark LaFramboise, who ordered 400 copies of the book for the store. As of last week, Politics and Prose had sold "60-something," he said.

"I expected it to be a blockbuster," he said. "I was wrong."

At Prairie Lights Books in Iowa City, "the book didn't sell at all," said Jim Harris, the store's owner. Of the 50 copies he ordered, Mr. Harris said, only 4 have sold, and he has sent 40 back to the distributor.

"I was flabbergasted," he said.

By most measures, the performance of "The Secret Man" would be an unquestioned success. The book, Mr. Woodward's account of his relationship with the source who helped him and Carl Bernstein break open the Watergate scandal in the early 1970's, has sold 61,000 copies in its first five weeks on sale, according to Nielsen BookScan, which tracks sales in bookstores and other outlets that usually account for about 70 percent of a new book's sales.

The book has also been on the New York Times best-seller list for five weeks, starting at No. 4 and ranking No. 12 on the list to be published Sunday, reflecting sales in the week ended Aug. 6....

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bestsellerlist; bobwoodward; booksales; carlbernstein; davidrosenthal; deepthroat; felt; laframboise; markfelt; nielsenbookscan; politicsandprose; prairielights; simonschuster; thesecretman; watergate; woodward
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To: OESY

One trick pony memo: the pony died.


21 posted on 08/17/2005 6:57:51 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks (Scratch a Liberal. Uncover a Fascist)
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To: Galtoid

Good points.


22 posted on 08/17/2005 7:20:21 AM PDT by Balding_Eagle (God has blessed Republicans with really stupid enemies.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

The old fart sold his soul and didn't get much in return. Hope this makes his Jane Fonda look alike daughter happy.


23 posted on 08/17/2005 7:23:37 AM PDT by txroadhawg (Don't believe any statistics unless you made them up yourself)
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To: SoFloFreeper

You nailed it pal. Tempest in a tea pot. No one cares.


24 posted on 08/17/2005 7:24:36 AM PDT by ghitma (Lifter)
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To: Galtoid

You are absolutely right! No one that matters give one hoot about this BS, other the the liberal Democrat vermin. They and the MSM are headed for the toilet of obscurity, and the buttheads can't even recognize it!!!


25 posted on 08/17/2005 7:25:13 AM PDT by JLAGRAYFOX
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To: OESY

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

gasp


HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


26 posted on 08/17/2005 7:26:56 AM PDT by AppyPappy
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To: YaYa123
Their mind set is stuck in neutral. It is still 30 years ago, it's Vietnam, it's the military industrial complex, it's Watergate. They are pathetic
27 posted on 08/17/2005 7:27:52 AM PDT by ghitma (Lifter)
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To: OESY

...best seller??? Yawnnnnnnnnn.....


28 posted on 08/17/2005 7:42:09 AM PDT by auto power
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To: sarasota

"There was so much press after Deep Throat revealed himself that no one needs to read Woodward's account."




And not only that...but every freakin' year for the last 30 years, the media celebrates the "annivesary" of Watergate and everything Nixon. For almost a week, we get to listen to Woodward and Bernstein...and the rest of the media, pat themselves on the back about how they saved the republic. It's gettting old and tiring.

Ironically, this same media that didn't get the chance to impeach Nixon completely ignores the anniversary and dates of the only impeached president in the 20th Century. They're pathetic.


29 posted on 08/17/2005 7:46:32 AM PDT by cwb (Liberalism is the opiate of the *asses.)
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To: bboop

And we can only hope that the liberals/Dems will continue their 20th century rhetoric to highlight their "out in left field" mentality. It's becoming quite amusing.


30 posted on 08/17/2005 7:49:45 AM PDT by sarasota
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To: Alberta's Child

Well said!


31 posted on 08/17/2005 7:51:55 AM PDT by Polyxene (For where God built a church, there the Devil would also build a chapel - Martin Luther)
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To: atomicpossum
If he'd said that Rove was Deep Throat

And the left would be demanding that he be prosecuted for revealing government information.

32 posted on 08/17/2005 7:52:56 AM PDT by Michael.SF. ('That was the gift the president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being together,' Cindy Sheehan")
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To: Victoria Delsoul

Ping.


33 posted on 08/17/2005 7:54:51 AM PDT by Alberta's Child (I ain't got a dime, but what I got is mine. I ain't rich, but Lord I'm free.)
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To: Polyxene

Thanks. What's truly amazing these days is just how short our attention spans have become in this age of "big media business." Stories don't last more than a few days or weeks at a time, unless they involve some ongoing court case (Michael Jackson, Terry Schiavo, etc.) or an ongoing saga during the month of August when Washington D.C. is empty (Cindy Sheehan).


34 posted on 08/17/2005 7:57:40 AM PDT by Alberta's Child (I ain't got a dime, but what I got is mine. I ain't rich, but Lord I'm free.)
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To: OESY

You think Woodward really cares? He received a $4 mil advance. That's at least a good week-end in Vegas.


35 posted on 08/17/2005 8:01:44 AM PDT by toddlintown (Your papers please.)
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To: OESY
I am not sorry the book is doing poorly, but...

Deep Throat and Watergate did the Republican party a lot of good. The Rockefeller wing of the party was too dominant back then. Agnew was a crook. Nixon was a cynical crook and no conservative. Ford was just weak as can be (though I understand he had an incredible talent for remembering people's names and was a great athlete). Watergate raised the standard for the way Republicans had to behave and the increased scrutiny made Republicans more careful with the the truth and more careful with their conduct. It didn't kill us and it made us stronger.

I wish the current crop of Republicans were better leaders, but I am satisfied that they are generally honest in both word and deed. And, I also fervently hope the Democrat party gets it's act together and challenges the Republicans. America needs the competition to keep both sides honest. I believe in the two party system and the stark choice it often gives the voters. The Republican party will rot at some point without competition, but lord knows the Democrats are going to have to rebuild their party and get rid of all the wacked out fringe elements that dominate its current leadership. Personally, I would welcome a party of Bayhs, Liebermans and Millers (Zell).
36 posted on 08/17/2005 8:06:26 AM PDT by BillCompton
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To: OESY
People don't care. Now that Deep Throat has been unmasked there was nothing idealistic or redeeming about the guy. It turned out he betrayed Nixon because he got passed over for advancement at the FBI, not because he wanted to stop the President from getting away with breaking the law. The story doesn't sound quite as high-minded as we were lead to believe in "All The President's Men," now does it? To the Left, those were the glory days and they're disappointed the country doesn't think its a template to go after Bush.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)
37 posted on 08/17/2005 8:06:34 AM PDT by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: sarasota

"so much press after Deep Throat revealed himself that no one needs to read Woodward's account"/
----you have absolutely nailed it. The Watergate story
AS IT WAS HAPPENING over 30 years ago, made at the very least for compelling reading in "real-time" as it was unfolding, though even then it looked like a set-up job by a media that hated Nixon---the story was SO overdone even in its own day----Nixon was the new McCarthy, responsible for the entire American civilization losing its innocence. How many times have we heard over the last 30 years that "nothing was ever the same after Watergate" as far as the public consciousness of corruption and trust in its own leadership in Washington?". There are all these media-created milestone moments in modern American history that by now ought to make us laugh out loud. Of course the Clinton Administration produced EIGHT SOLID YEARS of "Watergates", but the media didn't seem to notice.


38 posted on 08/17/2005 8:07:37 AM PDT by willyboyishere
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To: OESY

If this has stayed a secret until the book went on the market or if DP has turned out to be somebody more startling, it probably would have sold better. Still, I was surprised it was even on the bestseller list.

Financially, I wouldn't think it would matter to Woodward. He's made his boatload.


39 posted on 08/17/2005 8:10:18 AM PDT by Gone GF
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To: OESY

LOL. Nothing funnier to me than a bunch of old news jockeys sitting around bragging about their glory days. Funnier still that nobody cares.

Note to them: Before you start going around happily pointing out the President's approval ratings....I suggest you take a gander at your own.


40 posted on 08/17/2005 8:10:46 AM PDT by pollyannaish
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