In case anyone in publishing still doubts it, the latest exposé by celebrity biographer Kitty Kelley provides further proof that book embargoes are made to be breached. Doubleday isn't releasing The Family: The Real Story of the Bush Dynasty until tomorrow (September 14), but at least two newspapers, having obtained copies, printed articles based on the book last week. Those stories sparked extensive coverage from other media outlets, which reported on sensational tidbits in the book, including claims that George W. Bush used cocaine at Camp David while his father was president.
"This is a book that everybody is already talking about," Doubleday publicity director David Drake said last week, sounding somewhat less than upset about the broken embargo. While he emphasized that the newspapers did not get the book from Doubleday, Drake was philosophical about the leaks and the concept of embargoes in general. "I think it's a difficult strategy to execute given how aggressive the media is in pursuing hot properties in publishing," he said. "But I think it is a viable strategy, especially when you have a book that breaks news."
London's Mail on Sunday was the first to report on the book's content, publishing a story on September 5.
Four days later, the New York Times ran an article focusing on reaction to the book's allegations and saying the newspaper had obtained a copy of the title. Doubleday did give Newsweek an advance look at the book, after requiring a reporter to sign a confidentiality agreement. But the magazine's editor, Mark Whitaker, said last week that signing such an agreement goes against the publication's policy and that Newsweek is preparing its own story based on its investigation into the allegations in the book.
The broken embargo places Kitty Kelley into a group of high-profile authors who've seen closely guarded details of their books leaked ahead of publication, including J.K. Rowling and both Hillary and Bill Clinton. Doubleday has set a first printing of 750,000 copies for Kelley's book.
The advance publicity last week should lead in nicely to a blitz of author appearances this week. Among the prime media spots planned for Kelley are three consecutive days on NBC's Today Show, starting today, and an interview on MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews. Drake said media interest in the exposé will only intensify once it becomes widely available. "This is clearly a controversial book," he said, "and we know that it is going to be something of a wild ride."
