Hil's Book Is Read Hot

NY Daily News ^ | 6.11.2003 | JOEL SIEGEL in New York and JAMES GORDON MEEK in Washington

[NYC GOP Chick]

Hil's book is read hot

200,000 sold on first day

By JOEL SIEGEL in New York and JAMES GORDON MEEK in Washington
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITERS

Even the publisher was amazed yesterday at the demand for Sen. Hillary Clinton's memoir, which sold 200,000 copies during its debut.

"We are ecstatic, without question," said Victoria Meyer, executive director of publicity at Simon and Schuster. She said 300,000 copies of "Living History" have been ordered printed on top of the initial run of 1 million.

Now ranked second on Amazon.com's best-seller list, the New York Democrat's story threatens to do to No. 1 seller Harry Potter what Lord Voldemort could not - knock him off.

Barnes & Noble reported selling 40,000 editions of Clinton's tell-all at its 630 stores and Web site.

"We expect Hillary Clinton's 'Living History' to be Barnes & Noble's best-selling nonfiction title for the year," spokeswoman Carolyn Brown said.

Ann Binkley, spokeswoman for Waldenbooks and Borders Books & Music, said the stores sold about 35,000 copies Monday. "The book obviously has legs. ... We're absolutely thrilled about first-day sales," she said.

Beyond the first and second printings totaling 1.3 million, Clinton's publisher anticipates ordering even more copies of the 562-page memoir.

On Capitol Hill, where much of the action of her book takes place, reaction was mixed.

Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Elizabeth Dole (R-N.C.) said they were excited to read about Clinton's version of her turbulent White House years.

Asked whether he'd read it, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) laughed and said, "Yeah, I will, as a matter of fact."

Others were less enthusiastic, such as Sen. George Allen (R-Va.), who "wouldn't spend a penny" to get Clinton's take on the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

"I lived it. I don't have to read it," snapped House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.).

Rep. Steve Buyer (R-Ind.) and former Reps. Bob Barr (R-Ga.) and James Rogan (R-Calif.) - House impeachment managers who prosecuted President Bill Clinton in 1998 - bristled over the book's description of their efforts as a "group tirade denouncing my husband."

"Her book attempts to re-create a history to suit her image as the forever victim," Buyer said.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

The money laundering continues.

[Conspiracy Guy]

If the book came on a roll, was 2 ply, and quilted, I'd buy a copy.

[solzhenitsyn]

It'd be a hoot if those 200,000 copies sold on the first day turned out to be "channel-stuffing", instead of actual retail sales. I wouldn't mind if Barnes and Noble got stuck with a few extra copies.

And of course, some day the book is likely to be filed in "fiction" rather than non-fiction", so it would no longer have the record for first day non-fiction sales.

[Loyal Buckeye]

But the reviews I am now seeing are that the books is the "same old, same old". All politcal and nothing personal.

[Libloather]

...they were excited to read about Clinton's version of her turbulent White House years.

Will *Bill read it?

[TheGeezer]

Ah, perhaps it's the Matrix - Imploded syndrome: hype - hot - 7 days later - plummet.

[NYC GOP Chick]

It'll be great when Ann Coulter's book knocks her off her perch. :)

[randita]

I was in our local Border's and in Sam's Club yesterday. Both stores had prominent displays of the book that looked fresh and undisturbed. Unless a clerk has been assigned to replenish the supplies as soon as they are bought, the book is not a hot seller in these parts.

[The Wizard]

those first day sales were just part of the promotion, like when the Col. used to buy the first million copies of Elvis' new single.Talk to me a week and let's see if she's gotten to 300K

[Vaduz]

I bet hills book will be dead flat in two weeks

[lonestar]

But the reviews I am now seeing are that the books is the "same old, same old". All politcal and nothing personal.

What else do ghostwriters have to draw from?

[lonestar]

Hil's book is read hot

At my house, Hil's book is read not.

[FITZ]

Probably Millie Bush's book did better in staying up in sales.

[HankReardon]

Put nothing past these people, they may be buying their own book to crank up the numbers and move it up the best seller list. Of course, the news media treating this book as a news worthy event doesn't hurt sales. I don't understand why anyone bothers listening or reading what professional liars say anyway, right? What's the point? You know they will lie to suit whatever purpose they have at the moment.

[Ditter]

I Wonder if it will contain lines like the one I heard her say in a speech "One morning, while I was cutting bill's grapefruit, I had the best idea I ever had about healthcare." WHAT A &*$%# FRAUDE THIS WOMAN IS!!!!!!

[Dick Bachert]

They've got this thing in the NON-FICTION category?

[Pharmboy]

They organized these "book sales" the same way they organize the phone banks and the vans taking old people to the polls on election day. The teachers and union folks went out the first day and bought it...the process would make Stalin envious; there's no doubt in my mind. These people are the worst commie/fascists.

[HankReardon]

And the same way they repay people their campaign contributions to get around the individual contribution limit.