Five years ago, publishers were printing book after book about former President Donald Trump’s administration.
Now, they’re seeing demand dwindle, and Big Five publisher Simon & Schuster just reportedly canceled a book deal for a tell-all account of Joe Biden’s presidency.
Politico was the first outlet to report the failed book deal, and the outlet described it as “a further reflection of the soft market for books about President JOE BIDEN.”
Axios reporter Alex Thompson was writing the book, originally scheduled for the first half of 2024. On Twitter, Thomson confirmed the failure of the book deal. “It’s true,” he said.
Since the cancellation, Thompson has still been polishing his draft, and he remains open to other publishers’ possible offers to release the book sometime in 2025.
However, publishers have seen low returns for these books about Biden.
“GABRIEL DEBENEDETTI’s “The Long Alliance” has sold around 1,500 hardcover copies, according to NPD BookScan, while CHRIS WHIPPLE’s “The Fight of His Life” has sold around 5,000 and FRANKLIN FOER‘s “The Last Politician” around 12,000,” Politico observed.
“That compares to the nearly 1 million copies that MICHAEL WOLFF’s Trump-focused “Fire and Fury” sold, also per NPD BookScan, and the more than 400,000 copies sold of BOB WOODWARD and ROBERT COSTA’s “Peril.”
Meanwhile, Simon & Schuster has reportedly inked a deal to release a second Trump book by access journalist Maggie Haberman.
They’re also publishing First Lady Jill Biden’s book about the White House cat.
Yes, really.
Simon & Schuster announced Wednesday that “Willow the White House Cat” tells the story of how the short-haired tabby ended up at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
“As Willow bounds from room to room, exploring history in her new home, she learns quickly about all of the incredible people who make the ‘People’s House’ run,” the first lady said in the publisher’s announcement. “They welcomed Willow with love and care, just as they did Joe and me, the First Families who came before us, and all of the people who step foot into this home.
“Making many new friends along the way, Willow’s journey gives the world a ‘cats-eye’ view of all the ins and outs of America’s most famous address,” she said.
Take a look —
SCOOP: In another sign of the soft Biden book market, Simon and Schuster has withdrawn its contract with Axios’ Alex Thompson for a book about the Biden administration, two sources told me. The book was originally scheduled to be published early this year. https://t.co/IC0pMnDxKj pic.twitter.com/qKy1vr8IoC
— Daniel Lippman (@dlippman) March 27, 2024
The Horn editorial