Posted on 06/14/2003 7:53:17 PM PDT by kattracks
According to renowned New York City literary agent Lucianne Goldberg, those fabulous book sale figures racked up by Hillary Clinton's "Living History" may turn out to be mere publishing industry hype.
Reacting to Tuesday's reports Mrs. Clinton sold 200,000 copies a day after her book's release, Goldberg told syndicated radio hosts John Batchelor and Paul Alexander, "I'm told you can't get those figures in one day."
Citing another publishing source, she added, "They do have a system for [tallying up early book sales] but they doubt that they were able to access it that swiftly."
While Goldberg said her sources didn't have an accurate sales figure for Hillary's book, she put the number at "way below 200,000."
What about Simon & Schuster's million copy initial press run? Goldberg said the figure is just public relations hype and that the first run printing was probably no more than 350,000 copies.
The longtime publishing maven explained there would be no need for Simon & Schuster to print a million books. If they needed more, "you push the button on the press and you can crank out another 50,000 in a 24-hour cycle and ship them out."
In fact, sources in the field are reporting disappointing sales for Mrs. Clinton's book, Goldberg contended. "I can tell you a store that gets a call from the New York Times best seller list, and they're looking over there at 50 copies that haven't been bought."
She agreed with the characterization of Mrs. Clinton's book as "a loss leader" and predicted, "If this book doesn't take off over the weekend [Simon & Schuster] is going to be eating a lot of these copies."
Editor's Note: Frustrated by the media puffery of Hillary's new book? -- you can fight back and expose Hillary: Click Here Now
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Was watching C-span this morning.They had a book signing with all the usual Hillary groupies[the men seem to look really wimpy]lining up to get an autographed book.It was set up like an assembly line.She was shuffled through the door and acted like she was in a hurry to sign them and and shove the copies to someone else who would then hand them to the next person in line.She seemed real unpersonal and couldn't care less for these peasants,...er fans.Wouldn't look any one in the eye and also looked like it killed her to keep that smile on her face.
I think you've expressed the idea very well. I like your orange crate analogy and the idea of "subpiles" LOL. The following insight was also important, allowing the establishment of a probable starting height for the piles:
This was at a Costco discount warehouse so the retailing strategies there are more primitive than at the fancy booksellers.
All in all, very well reasoned and stated. I am convinced that the Hillary pile was indeed reduced by one fourth.
(Ah, FR, home of the compulsively and unrepentantly analytical ;O)
You are correct.From the NY Times online Bestseller List:
"Rankings reflect sales, for the week ending June 7..."
So her book would not be listed there yet.
From http://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/22/books/bestseller/0622besthardnonfiction.html (no-charge registration required):
Rankings reflect sales, for the week ending June 7, at almost 4,000 bookstores plus wholesalers serving 50,000 other retailers (gift shops, department stores, newsstands, supermarkets), statistically weighted to represent all such outlets nationwide. An asterisk (*) indicates that a book's sales are barely distinguishable from those of the book above. A dagger (+) indicates that some bookstores report receiving bulk orders.But, if it takes the Old Gray Lady a WEEK to update THEIR list, how could S&S get virtually INSTANTANEOUS results?
Still a legend in her own mind I see.
I would like to browse it, but will never buy that crap. I got Michael Moore's stupid book for free but never got past page one. I would like to keep a copy of Hillary's yawner somewhere in my archives for future reference.
For example, if you click HERE you will download a copy of Michael Moore's book, Stupid White Men. It's on servers overseas for FREE!! Not a dime goes to fatso Moore. Someone gave me that link a couple of months ago when the press was unabashedly promoting his anti-Bush rants.
Where can I get Hillary's? Someone post it when you find it!
Her tome should work better at curing insomnia than melotonin.
Sorry about posting this on a couple of threads, but I really would like to find it.
I don't know. Seems Hillary has pretty big closets.
S&S isn't out a bundle, the next ten new writers the firm publishes are. S&S will just gouge them, to make up their losses.
I knew something wasn't right here.. No one is that interested in what Hillary has to say.
The story is out, everyone knows what happened between Bill and Monica and the only reason to buy this book is if you're interested solely in Hillary's jaded and dishonest "view" of the events that transpired.
S&S sharholders should question what the company is doing with its assets. S&S is owned by Viacom (headed by Sumner Redstone). Why isn't the parent company overseeing its division's allocation of assets.
I think the SEC should look into this. Don't you?
More like a bribe. That $8 mil is going right into Herr Hillary's trousers.
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