Eyeing windfall, publishers ready presses for Reagan books
NEW YORK -- The death of Ronald Reagan has triggered a whirlwind of action among publishers, who are speeding up books in the pipeline and dusting off a wide choice of works already available on the 40th US president
A boxed set of paperbacks by the prolific Reagan biographer Lou Cannon and a long-anticipated memoir by Reagan's daughter Patti Davis are among works being hurried to the bookshops.
"It's still early, but we're seeing demand from retailers, and it looks like a lot of books are selling," said Josh Marwell, president of sales for HarperCollins.
News of Reagan's death on Saturday broke during the annual convention of publishers and book retailers in Chicago, where a moment of silence quickly gave way to practical concerns.
"We all said, 'Ronald Reagan has passed away -- what should we do?' " said Gene Taft, director of publicity at the publisher PublicAffairs. "Maybe we should take some orders."
Random House imprint Alfred A. Knopf, which is expecting a bonanza with the publication of former President Bill Clinton's memoir, says it has Davis under contract for a tell-all book about Reagan with the stipulation that it would be published after his death.
Seven Reagan books shot into
"I think everyone in the publishing industry hopes this will be an opportunity to remind readers what's so captivating about Ronald Reagan," said Adam Rothberg, Simon & Schuster vice president.
