It feels like we just bemoaned the well-known but under-discussed open secret about political memoirs earlier this week. Very few people purchase them, even fewer read them, and yet they manage to make it into bestseller lists.
This also applies to Kamala Harris, the alleged US vice president. In 2019, Harris’s memoir “The Truths We Hold” brought in a meager $234.13 in royalties, as revealed in her financial statements for 2023. Of course, the book is not brand new, but Harris’ royalties clearly did not last long enough to outlive the novelty of the supposed author’s chuckle.
Sales of the “young” edition may constitute child abuse, however, it is unclear from the financial statement whether or not that was the case.
In 2019, Harris’s children’s book titled “Superheroes Are Everywhere” brought in a more natty $8,254 in royalties. Who purchased enough copies of the “Superheroes Are Everywhere” book to earn Harris a royalty check in the upper four figures? I am really intrigued to find out. School districts controlled by leftists would be the only purchasers I would consider. I’d need a couch to fall asleep on and something strong to drink. Unless you count the drink alone,.
I am curious as to whether the writers of Harris’s novels received any compensation other than a nominal, upfront cost. As Jordan Schachtel put it last week, the well-known individual whose likeness appears on the cover “gets a ton of cash, a reputation boost, and occasionally the prestige of being on the NY Times best-selling book list.” “Even if it is just to have a few phone calls with the actual author, who often gets a modest five-figure sum (around $10,000 to $20,000) for six months of dedicated effort,”
Even for someone as famous and politically connected as Harris, the revenues in the medium term did not amount to much.
The yearly declaration also showed that the Veep received a thoughtful present from ESPN. The formerly dominant sports network sent Harris a pair of Atlanta Cricket Celebration Bowl tickets valued at $1,890 in December 2023. In retaliation, Harris went on to speak about her time at Howard University while appearing in the broadcast booth.
While we are discussing disclosures, I feel obligated to bring up a few points from the First Couple’s annual report.
Last year, royalty revenue from any of Joe Biden’s books was zero. However, it was her husband’s childhood storybook that inspired DOCTOR Jill’s children’s book, “Joey.” The 2020 publication of her book “Joey: The Story of Joe Biden” screams “BY NY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JILL BIDEN” on the cover, in letters that are identical in size as “The Story of Joe Biden.”
According to an unreliable source, royalties for “Joey’s” 2023 will be between $2,501 and $5,000. It was most certainly public school libraries that made the purchases; in fact, I would wager next month’s house payment on it.
The fact that Biden had so little to disclose about his finances, given his impressive (if not a bit cryptic) wealth, was the most intriguing thing to me regarding his financial filings.
Author: Scott Dowdy
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