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NO BIDS FOR BOOK EXCERPTS Hil book in a bind: Magazines not keen on excerpts
DAILY NEWS ^ | April 30, 2003 | PAUL D. COLFORD

Posted on 04/30/2003 4:04:37 AM PDT by Liz

Memoir: Sen. Hillary Clinton's 'Living History' goes on sale June 9, but Simon & Schuster has no bids yet for excerpt.

Plans to print a million copies of Sen. Hillary Clinton's memoir are so far missing a key detail - the name of the magazine that will run an excerpt before the book goes on sale June 9.

The word is that Simon & Schuster has asked only a limited number of mags if they wanted to consider "Living History" for an excerpt and has yet to show them the manuscript. And none has bid yet.

Such exposure, a virtual certainty with such a high-profile title, typically earns a publisher or author a nice check while also trumpeting a book's arrival.

But three mags that have carried excerpts of other books - The New York Times Sunday Magazine, Vanity Fair and Newsweek - answered inquiries from the Daily News by saying they don't plan to publish a piece of Clinton's memoir.

The New Yorker also is believed to be staying on the sidelines.

It was unclear if all four of the mags were among those approached by Simon & Schuster, which bought rights to publish the former first lady's book around the world for $8 million.

At the same time, a U.S. News & World Report spokesman said the mag is interested.

Time and People, both owned by Time Inc., appear to be the other likely contenders.

Their level of interest may depend on how much Clinton reveals about her White House years and marriage.

Newsweek editor in chief Richard Smith told The News: "It's fair to say that, given our significant spending on Iraq and other international coverage, we're looking very carefully at any spending on optional items."

Meanwhile, more than a month before the book's release, there was evidence of why Simon & Schuster ordered a million-copy printing.

At online bookseller Amazon.com, "Living History" was ranked No. 2,630 in orders late Monday, the day Simon & Schuster announced the on-sale date and title. By late yesterday, the book stood at No. 73.

The rival BN.com showed the book at No. 618,267 on Monday, but up at No. 13 yesterday.

For the online booksellers, these are real sales already made with credit cards.

Book Revue, a bellwether independent store in Huntington, L.I., has ordered "several thousand" copies, according to co-owner Richard Klein.

By contrast, unsold copies in stores can be returned to the publisher.

"Sen. Clinton will sign books on June 24, but even if she weren't coming, I would have ordered a lot of copies," he added. "She inspires a great deal of interest and I think it's going to be a powerhouse book."

A publisher faces a big risk with a huge printing, as Random House was reminded in 1996.

Bill Clinton's "Between Hope and History," a collection of political views released on the eve of his reelection campaign, became a best-seller and then a big flop. Of the 500,000 copies printed, 425,000 remained unsold at the end of the year.


TOPICS: Extended News; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: book; hillary; livinghistory; turass
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To: trebb
The "intrigue" is building, everybody oh so quiet.

Maybe they are waiting for a movie deal staring Mad-onna, reason for her downplay of "Material Girl" statement.

The lawyers book club will not let Hillary down.

41 posted on 04/30/2003 7:44:30 AM PDT by Just mythoughts
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To: Liz
Isn't it a little late to be shopping excerpts you don't actually have to magizines that must be out before June 9?
42 posted on 04/30/2003 7:48:47 AM PDT by laredo44
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To: wildandcrazyrussian
The on-line book sales numbers are misleading as well, since it is possible to CANCEL any such order and get a credit-card refund. That still does not become REAL sales until it's shipped.

The on-line buyers will take delivery. The books will be shipped before the bad reviews come in. This must be quite a balancing act for the publisher -- generating interest without releasing enough of it to reveal how empty it will be.

43 posted on 04/30/2003 7:57:02 AM PDT by js1138
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To: laredo44
S&S pressured Hitlery to release the book which wss ghosted eons ago and which she was timimg to her ugly prez ambitions. Then, history caught up with the two Clinton connivers causing furious rewrites.
44 posted on 04/30/2003 8:23:43 AM PDT by Liz
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To: Just mythoughts
Maybe they are waiting for a movie deal starring Madonna....

....and it will bomb like her latest film disaster, "Swept Away"..........

45 posted on 04/30/2003 8:25:30 AM PDT by Liz
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To: Liz
lol 'THERE WILL BE HELL TO PAY' if this book flops.
46 posted on 04/30/2003 8:30:22 AM PDT by Just mythoughts
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To: Archie Bunker on steroids; Grampa Dave
.....the DNC has already ordered a 20 thousand square foot warehouse to store all of the copies they bought.....

Check to see if the DNC received a Clinton "donation" to make the book purchases.....

Anyone who spots McAwful dragging a U-Haul from bookstore to bookstore should post it here.

47 posted on 04/30/2003 8:30:40 AM PDT by Liz
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To: Just mythoughts
Heheh.....probably more of Barbara's books will sell in the wake of Hitlery's atrocity.........
48 posted on 04/30/2003 8:31:52 AM PDT by Liz
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To: Liz
Good idea leather bound in memory of.
49 posted on 04/30/2003 8:33:46 AM PDT by Just mythoughts
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To: Jumpmaster
Sure won't be placed on the "Romance" shelves.
50 posted on 04/30/2003 8:34:21 AM PDT by Liz
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To: trebb
"I wonder who REALLY bought the greater part of the 75,000"

That would be Babs.
51 posted on 04/30/2003 8:35:52 AM PDT by Lee'sGhost (Crom!)
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To: Liz
From the Amazon site a recommendation from a reader:

Our Customers' Advice
See what customers recommend in addition to, or instead of, the product on this page.
Recommend an item!

1 person recommended The Communist Manifesto in addition to Living History

52 posted on 04/30/2003 8:39:53 AM PDT by abner
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To: Liz
Bill Clinton's "Between Hope and History," a collection of political views released on the eve of his reelection campaign, became a best-seller and then a big flop

LOL .. I didn't realize he had a book out before

53 posted on 04/30/2003 8:41:34 AM PDT by Mo1 (I'm a monthly Donor .. You can be one too!)
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To: Dante3; kassie; Rebelbase; NotJustAnotherPrettyFace; 4NOMOREGORE; Flurry; Just mythoughts; ...
FREEPER ALERT

Book Revue, a bellwether independent store in Huntington, L.I., has ordered "several thousand" copies, according to co-owner Richard Klein. "Sen. Clinton will sign books on June 24, but even if she weren't coming, I would have ordered a lot of copies," he added. "She inspires a great deal of interest and I think it's going to be a powerhouse book."

(1) Start here to confirm the legitimacy of the book "order."
(2) Also, is the putative sale of the books to LI individuals payback for Hitlery's WH pardons, and other WH favors to Dumbocrats?

54 posted on 04/30/2003 8:59:02 AM PDT by Liz
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To: Liz
The order of several thousand copies is a freebie, since the unsold copies can be returned. You can bet that any store that has a book signing by the author gets special treatment from the publisher.

The key numbers will be sales in the third and fourth week.

55 posted on 04/30/2003 9:02:40 AM PDT by js1138
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To: abner
LOL. Come on, let's have some fun. Let's all go over and make recommendations. LOL.
56 posted on 04/30/2003 9:04:56 AM PDT by Liz
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To: js1138
The order of several thousand copies is a freebie, since the unsold copies can be returned. You can bet that any store that has a book signing by the author gets special treatment from the publisher.

Another thing to remember that in the publishing business, author advances are based on the expected sales, and profits, the publisher expects. Hitlery's world-record advance assumes world-record profits for S&S.

Typical publishing contracts have a clause for the author returning some of the advance money if the sales don't match expectations. Also, expenses involved in returning unsold books comes out of the author's advance.

Does anyone want to bet whether there is such a standard clause in Hitlery's contract? Or if there is, that it will be enforced? I think her book contract is as big a state secret as her college thesis.

If S&S loses its ass on this deal, it can claim it on its taxes as a bad investment, and the American taxpayer winds up subsidizing an illegal contribution to Hitlery. Is this a great country, or what?

57 posted on 04/30/2003 9:58:56 AM PDT by 300winmag
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To: Mo1
Was such a flop......nobody knew.
58 posted on 04/30/2003 11:50:57 AM PDT by Liz
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To: Liz
First Blumenthak, now Hillary with magazine problems. Is their administration that "over"?
59 posted on 04/30/2003 11:56:52 AM PDT by TexanToTheCore
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To: Liz
This is a bogus order. Best sellers are listed by copies sold by select bookstores. Some people must be in a panic to make sure her book makes the list.
60 posted on 05/01/2003 5:02:56 AM PDT by Dante3 (.)
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