Whatever Happened To...?
Judy Quinn -- 11/24/97
A status check on some much-delayed hot books
In the book world there's many a time that a publisher, with optimistic expectations about a certain property, will cry wolf (or, in FSG's case, Wolfe). Upon signing up a book, a publisher announces what may turn out to be an unrealistic pub date, and the book may even be listed with that estimated time of arrival in catalogues or on rights lists -- and then fail to appear.While this is, of course, normal business prodcedure, and no one can predict the flow of the muse both in-house and from the author, there are some books that PW wonders about. (If you're interested in books beyond those mentioned here, contact jquinn@cahners.com in confidence and PW will pursue.) Below, a status check on four:
That Tom Wolfe Novel
At one point, the much-delayed next novel by Wolfe, the first since his blockbuster The Bonfire of the Vanities was published in 1987, was scheduled to come out this fall. When we checked in about the book during BDD Audio's interesting -- dare we call it ambush? -- marketing of its audio-only of Wolfe's Ambush at Fort Bragg ("You've waited so long for Tom Wolfe," the ad read), Wolfe's book publisher, FSG, said the manuscript might be delivered soon. At press time, FSG publicity chief Jeff Seroy told PW that Wolfe's editor, FSG senior v-p and editor-in-chief Jonathan Galassi, is still working with earlier partial segments of the book but "we intend and hope to publish next fall." But is it that O.J-meets-Donald-Trump-in-Atlanta tale called Chocolate City, as the book was once depicted on rights lists? Galassi was mum about any more details.
The Next Book From Newt
During ethics hearings this past summer, Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich mentioned an upcoming book, Lessons in Leadership. It didn't appear an idle boast; a book with that title appeared in an early version of HarperCollins' catalogue for this fall, complete with a planned $200,000 national launch campaign. Then, last summer, right in the middle of the HarperCollins's canceled-contract flap, word leaked that Gingrich was shopping the book elsewhere. Now it appears that agent Lynn Chu and HarperCollins executive editor Adrian Zackheim have, after all, reached an amicable agreement about the book, which is now tentatively scheduled to be published next April. Chu said that Gingrich, who recently faced off a coup to be dislodged as Speaker, is toying with a title change, such as Lessons I Learned the Hard Way or Still Standing. And given the brouhaha last time, where Gingrich returned a $4.5-million, two-book (a Democracy Reader is still to come from that deal) advance for a new royalty arrangement, what's the deal this time? Chu wouldn't comment, and neither would the House Ethics Committee, which currently has the Gingrich deal under submission. Watch PW's news coverage for an update on that deal.
The Eisner Autobiography
Disney chief Michael Eisner showed up personally at a Random House sales conference to trumpet his upcoming autobiography, to be written with Tony Schwartz, and early word from the house was that the book would indeed be published this fall. Then it was delayed; it was a mere coincidence, said the house, that the book was being seen as key evidence in the lawsuit that Dreamworks SKG partner Jeffrey Katzenberg had filed against former boss Eisner. Now the suit has been taken out of court at the 11th hour. Random House spokesperson Carol Schneider told PW that the book will be published sometime next year.
The Second Gone With the Wind Sequel
And last but not least is the intriguing word that has been leaking out about this ill-fated project, for which SMP paid a reported $4.5 million to the Margaret Mitchell estate. In June 1996, the house announced it would not publish a second sequel by British writer Emma Tennant, who had been contracted for the job, and that SMP intended to seek a new and preferably Southern writer. Given that direction, the recent rumor that Prince of Tides author Pat Conroy was a replacement candidate didn't seem inconceivable. And Conroy's agent Julian Bach didn't quell the speculation. "There have been discussions, but there has not been any decision at this time," said Bach. SMP itself had a strict "no comment," according to SMP publicity chief John Murphy; William Morris agent Owen Laster, who represents the Mitchell estate, wouldn't comment either, though he did note that something "might develop" within a month.
Back To News
---> |
