Comments on: Clinton Book Advances: Are They Payola or the Most Expensive Door-Stoppers of All Time? http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/ The blog of the mystery writer, screenwriter and CEO of Pajamas Media Thu, 16 Feb 2012 06:23:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Charlie (Colorado) http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93857 Charlie (Colorado) Sun, 06 Apr 2008 00:30:10 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93857 Doc, it's not only plausible, it's basically the exact scam that has been used in the past. Tim, as a writer who is pleased when he get a hundred bucks, much less fifteen million, I sympathize: but if Clinton really earned $29 million in royalties, he made at <i>least</i> that much for the publisher. If we could reliably earn out $50,000 dollar advances, we'd get them. Doc, it’s not only plausible, it’s basically the exact scam that has been used in the past.

Tim, as a writer who is pleased when he get a hundred bucks, much less fifteen million, I sympathize: but if Clinton really earned $29 million in royalties, he made at least that much for the publisher. If we could reliably earn out $50,000 dollar advances, we’d get them.

]]> By: tim maguire http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93856 tim maguire Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:55:58 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93856 I don't know how many books the Clinton's had to sell to make back the advance, but I do know that 15 million is enough to give 300 up and coming new talents a $50,000 advance. I don’t know how many books the Clinton’s had to sell to make back the advance, but I do know that 15 million is enough to give 300 up and coming new talents a $50,000 advance.

]]> By: docweasel http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93855 docweasel Sat, 05 Apr 2008 22:27:07 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93855 It could go deeper than that, Roger. What if, just what if, Random House makes deals where Clinton "admirers" agree in advance to buy a certain lot of books, laundering contributions by buying a bunch of books, then giving them away or crushing them into pulp or whatever. Then the Clintons can be said to have legitimately "earned" their advances and everybody is happy. No link to whoever buys a huge number of books, basically contributing monies to the Clintons with no paper trail. Its plausible. It could go deeper than that, Roger. What if, just what if, Random House makes deals where Clinton “admirers” agree in advance to buy a certain lot of books, laundering contributions by buying a bunch of books, then giving them away or crushing them into pulp or whatever.

Then the Clintons can be said to have legitimately “earned” their advances and everybody is happy. No link to whoever buys a huge number of books, basically contributing monies to the Clintons with no paper trail.

Its plausible.

]]> By: freetotem http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93854 freetotem Sat, 05 Apr 2008 20:01:08 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93854 I have seen the Clintons' books prominently displayed in stores around Europe, as well. I don't know if the Europeans are reading them, or they are selling to American tourists. But if Bill is a s popular abroad as is claimed by many, maybe that's where a lot of the books are sold. I have seen the Clintons’ books prominently displayed in stores around Europe, as well. I don’t know if the Europeans are reading them, or they are selling to American tourists. But if Bill is a s popular abroad as is claimed by many, maybe that’s where a lot of the books are sold.

]]> By: Charlie (Colorado) http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93853 Charlie (Colorado) Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:50:39 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93853 Oh, God, David, I wouldn't <i>think</i> so. Hmmm. (rummage about google). Okay, the American Library Association says there are <a>123,291</a> public libraries in the USA. So figuring even that they bought on average 2 copies each, that's only about 3 percent of the sales. Oh, God, David, I wouldn’t think so. Hmmm. (rummage about google). Okay, the American Library Association says there are 123,291 public libraries in the USA. So figuring even that they bought on average 2 copies each, that’s only about 3 percent of the sales.

]]> By: David http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93852 David Sat, 05 Apr 2008 19:06:40 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93852 Why yes, Mr. Rather, we do see the similarities between the Seige of Vicksberg and The Seige of Monica (call the Insane Assylum, I am just trying to keep him calm, he is clearly nucking futs) Why yes, Mr. Rather, we do see the similarities between the Seige of Vicksberg and The Seige of Monica (call the Insane Assylum, I am just trying to keep him calm, he is clearly nucking futs)

]]> By: David Thomson http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93851 David Thomson Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:38:35 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93851 I am just guessing---but what about the public and academic libraries that feel obligated to purchase copies of books written by the Clintons? Could that make the difference? I am just guessing—but what about the public and academic libraries that feel obligated to purchase copies of books written by the Clintons? Could that make the difference?

]]> By: Charlie (Colorado) http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93850 Charlie (Colorado) Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:31:05 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93850 As I guess someone else told you, the combined income seems to say that Bill made <i>$29 million</i> on the book, so it apparently earned out the advance and then some, especially with the second book. What I can't quite figure out is <i>how</i>? If he got 10 percent, that's something like $3.50 each on the hardback <i>My Life</i>, $2.80 each on <i>Giving</i> in hardback, and about $2.00 each on <i>My Life</i> in paper (totalling both volumes and assuming if you bought the first you'd buy the second. This is being a little conservative in the sanse that it probably overstates the sames of the second volume.) So that's an average of $2.76, and that again is conservative in the sense that it probably overstates the average royalty (it weights the expensive book too heavily, it probably didn't really get a third of the sales) and thus will tend to understand the number of copies this seems to imply. That's <i>ten and a half million copies.</i> Conservatively. After returns. I guess it's possible. Possible. I'd sure love to know the terms of the actual contract, though. As I guess someone else told you, the combined income seems to say that Bill made $29 million on the book, so it apparently earned out the advance and then some, especially with the second book.

What I can’t quite figure out is how? If he got 10 percent, that’s something like $3.50 each on the hardback My Life, $2.80 each on Giving in hardback, and about $2.00 each on My Life in paper (totalling both volumes and assuming if you bought the first you’d buy the second. This is being a little conservative in the sanse that it probably overstates the sames of the second volume.)

So that’s an average of $2.76, and that again is conservative in the sense that it probably overstates the average royalty (it weights the expensive book too heavily, it probably didn’t really get a third of the sales) and thus will tend to understand the number of copies this seems to imply.

That’s ten and a half million copies.

Conservatively.

After returns.

I guess it’s possible. Possible.

I’d sure love to know the terms of the actual contract, though.

]]> By: NewcombCarlton http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93849 NewcombCarlton Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:26:07 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93849 Roger, I don't think large sales of books like the Clintons' or Obama's say anything about the reading habits of the American public. I believe people buy these books as mementoes of the politicians they admire and affirmations of their own righteousness for admiring them. I suspect a very small percentage of these books are thoroughly read. Roger, I don’t think large sales of books like the Clintons’ or Obama’s say anything about the reading habits of the American public. I believe people buy these books as mementoes of the politicians they admire and affirmations of their own righteousness for admiring them. I suspect a very small percentage of these books are thoroughly read.

]]> By: OregonGuy http://pjmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93848 OregonGuy Sat, 05 Apr 2008 18:12:22 +0000 http://pajamasmedia.com/rogerlsimon/2008/04/05/clinton-book-advances-are-they-payola-or-the-most-expensive-door-stoppers-of-all-time/#comment-93848 You and I won't live to see the day when the amount paid for sales of these books is made public. I have no problem with big paychecks. I am reminded of what others in the publishing industry had to say at the time of Senator Clinton's deal. As I recall, didn't she "beat the deadline" on needing to disclose the terms of her book deal? You and I won’t live to see the day when the amount paid for sales of these books is made public. I have no problem with big paychecks.

I am reminded of what others in the publishing industry had to say at the time of Senator Clinton’s deal. As I recall, didn’t she “beat the deadline” on needing to disclose the terms of her book deal?

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