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News & ArtsFriday, December 10, 2010
2012 / Books Is Sarah Palin a One-Hit Wonder?
Posted by Paul Constant on Fri, Dec 10, 2010 at 2:21 PM
The Washington Post notes that Sarah Palin's second book is nowhere near the blockbuster that her first book was:
"America by Heart," Palin's new memoir, has logged disappointing receipts since it officially went on sale late last month, publishing sources say. Although the book is second on the New York Times bestseller list this week (behind former president George W. Bush's memoir, "Decision Points"), its publisher, HarperCollins, hasn't ordered a second printing - a sign that sales haven't been overly brisk.
Her reality show keeps hitting new lows, too. Now, book sales and TV ratings don't correlate with political clout, but a good publicity machine can manage to keep buzz going for the long haul; the Palin brand doesn't seem to be very good at endurance.
2
Whatever, she parlayed her V.P. nomination with the R's into a few million dollars. And that is clearly what she intended. So now, she can't really lose.
4
Possibly gwb and palin's books are being bought as gag gifts for the holiday season? The Cliffs Notes versions sales should be more brisk.
5
She and her dad cant hunt for a damm. Who the hell uses the rifle as a walking stick anyway? That just screams "I have no idea what im doing".
6
See you write like an idiot. "Endurance" isn't an activity, dumbass, so you can't be good at it.
I know one thing: Paul Constant isn't very good at writing.
Books Editor, seriously? I'm suprised you can even read.
I know one thing: Paul Constant isn't very good at writing.
Books Editor, seriously? I'm suprised you can even read.
7
Fucking QFC had her book in their ad last week.
How about the Stranger forgoing QFC for their genius award cakes and order from several local independent bakeries--the Italian one on Rainier and some of the ones in the International District would be good choices.
How about the Stranger forgoing QFC for their genius award cakes and order from several local independent bakeries--the Italian one on Rainier and some of the ones in the International District would be good choices.
10
I've wondered what might happen when her beauty fades. That is, after all, the nucleus of her appeal. And as a woman fast approaching a "certain age," her beauty already brittle around the edges, surely her shelf life is limited. Hell, not even Uma Thurman gets the roles she used to.
11
@6: Your bizarrely prescriptivist and rigid understanding of language only highlights your ignorance. And ignorance is something you're obviously very good at.
(By the way: Paul knows that accepted use dictates a comma after "see," as in: "see, you write like an idiot.")
(By the way: Paul knows that accepted use dictates a comma after "see," as in: "see, you write like an idiot.")
16
@4 -
I'm with you on the gift theory. If the NY Times does a top-10 of the most returned bestsellers after Christmas, I think the Palin and Bush books are certain to be on it.
I'm with you on the gift theory. If the NY Times does a top-10 of the most returned bestsellers after Christmas, I think the Palin and Bush books are certain to be on it.
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@15 Wonka-vision is still a few years off, so sadly Will would be safe for now.
Since her popularity seems to stem almost entirely from the media constantly echoing how popular she is, maybe stories like this could be the beginning of the end, indeed... please FSM let it be so.
Since her popularity seems to stem almost entirely from the media constantly echoing how popular she is, maybe stories like this could be the beginning of the end, indeed... please FSM let it be so.
19
@11
Oh my god, by feelings are hurt by internet idiot! What will I do?
Listen fucker, I don't give a shit whether you think my opinions are "bizarrely prescriptivist" or whether you believe I have a "rigid understanding of language" - which doesn't actually mean anything - but can you explain how these would heighten my ignorance? And from what point is it being heightened? How was that point determined?
Anyway, my job isn't to read and write about books for a living - but Paul's is. And he writes like someone who doesn't read.
Oh my god, by feelings are hurt by internet idiot! What will I do?
Listen fucker, I don't give a shit whether you think my opinions are "bizarrely prescriptivist" or whether you believe I have a "rigid understanding of language" - which doesn't actually mean anything - but can you explain how these would heighten my ignorance? And from what point is it being heightened? How was that point determined?
Anyway, my job isn't to read and write about books for a living - but Paul's is. And he writes like someone who doesn't read.
20
The only reason either of the bush bio or her book are even on the New York Times list is because of conservative book buying operations. The GOP has been doing this for years. They buy the books to grossly inflate their numbers.The purchased books are sent to warehouses. They are usually given out later as freebies at GOP conferences and conventions.
http://www.politicususa.com/en/palin-bes…
http://www.politicususa.com/en/palin-bes…
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AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MARK TWAIN, VOL. 1, by Mark Twain is second on the New York Times bestseller list this week, in Hardcover Nonfiction.
23
If you remove certain sections of the title from the cover the remaining parts look like devil horns on her head.
24
I like how people who want popularity and mass acceptance aren't talented enough to write something that doesn't need political action committees to fake their way up the NYT bestseller list. If you have to rig your way into elections, or semi-finals, or onto supermarket remainder lists (I hate to think what QFC's and Walmart's "bargain price" tables will look like, probably as flooded as retailers with ET merchandise in 1983), you're American as a QFC preservative and additive-filled naturally and artificially flavored cherry pie sweetened with corn syrup.
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You do realize that the largest buyer of these books was SarahPAC, which was compromised by 4chan users? The book isn't selling well because Palin isn't even buying it anymore.
27
I've come to realize that the reason she loves Twitter so much is that she rarely has anything to say longer than 160 characters. She speaks in sound bites. To think the same people who listen to those are going to read a ghostwritten book is absurd.
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