Diane Evans: The post-election book sales bump
By Dave
November 20th, 2008 | Leave a comment
By Diane Evans
If the presidential election gave rise to a spate of political books, the post-election season is no different.
Here are some winners, in terms of book sales and pending new deals:
Doris Kearns Goodwin: With President-elect Barack Obama talking up her TEAM OF RIVALS: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, the thousand-page book is drawing both media attention and increased sales. It’s in the top 20 in sales both on Amazon and the Web site of Barnes & Noble.
A blogger for the online edition of Great Britain’s Guardian writes:
“Perhaps what is most interesting is that what was published as a history book has become a manual for the next presidency, one which offers insights into Obama’s political thinking.” With Obama now saying he will have a bipartisan cabinet, and with former Democratic rival Hillary Rodham Clinton a possible choice for secretary of state, the president-elect appears ready to follow Lincoln’s example of appointing adversaries to critical positions.
”I think it reflects a great inner strength on Obama’s part that he is seriously considering creating a team of rivals as Lincoln did,” Goodwin told The Associated Press last week.
Barack Obama: His presidental victory boosted sales of his two memoirs,
The Audacity of Hope, his 20 06 book on politics and faith and
Dreams From My Father, written in 1995 and reissued in 2004.
Sarah Palin: While she may not rate a cabinet job, speculation is she is headed for a mega book deal, possibly by the end of this month, for a price estimated by various sources between $6 million and $12 million. For that kind of money, expect to see her on all the talk shows.
President Bush and Laura Bush: Her memoir is expected first, as the Associated Press reports that she wants to write a memoir and will be meeting with several publishers. Recall the $8 million contract that Hillary Clinton signed in 2003 for her memoir Living History.
A memoir by the president is likely to come later when his approval ratings improve.
One final note: An Associated Press story raised the spector of how fiction might be influenced by a black president.
“Before Obama, you wouldn’t have gotten away with simply having a black president and having that on the periphery. Now you can, and what a great thing that is,” commented David Baldacci, author of such Washington thrillers as Absolute Power and Divine Justice.
Author Christopher Buckley, son of the late William F. Buckley, noted that Washington novelists, just like others in the Capitol, take cues from whoever is in power.
Buckley, who endorsed Obama, said he hopes for a “roll-up-the-sleeves kind of government” and sees greater promise for satire in vice president elect Joe Biden.
Not to mention the promise for paradox – as Biden, who was supposed to be the serious one, becomes fodder for folly, as his rival, the former beauty queen on the losing ticket, goes for the multimillion-dollar book deal.
Who needs fiction?
Diane Evans, founder and president of DelMio.com, was a writer and columnist for the former Knight Ridder Newspapers.
