Courtiers the release !

[jeffgoldblum]

In preparation for the books release , and with permission from randompenguin , I thought it would be good to start this thread now !

I can't work out what he will fill 3 books with either. He's what 38, that's really a book a decade. I think he'd struggle to fill 3 ladybird books never mind anything else.

😂 I would class both of them as non-readers. Well, readers of instagram memes in her case. Her giveaway was the photo on The Tig showing a small shelf of books with the same colour spines. A passionate reader would never go there.

He might reflect also on how his own behaviour has impacted others negatively. Not just how much he has suffered himself and how hard done by he is

If the book ever appears and he does I'll be the first to give him credit for it, but I'd also be amazed. He's a member of the RF, remember, and "blame" appears to be for others to shoulder

I wasn't aware of the book being rewritten because it had too much emphasis on Harry's mental health though - please does anyone have links about this?

In another episode of "Recollections may vary" and maybe we have Megan's "fact checker" to thank for this but apparently on her latest podcast she has said Harry organised a referral to a therapist when she was at her worst point.

Maybe that was after HR had pointed out it wasn't their job.

He could call his book "My Struggle". And have a picture of his fancy dress costume on the cover.

Oh dear! This did make me laugh!

@jeffgoldblum it’s utterly bizarre. It’s not normal for grown ups to be so emotionally invested. And hounding and bullying posters even on other threads, if that’s what they have to do to feel like their lives have meaning and purpose, I feel quite sorry for them.

I'd very much like to see these racist incidents addressed in the book. All this speaking of their truths surely can't just involve the pretty stuff?

I feel H might have a selective memory.

All this speaking of their truths surely can't just involve the pretty stuff

It’s called selective memory,

I'm shocked 😮, nobody has picked up on this! , it's the opposite of what was said on Oprah!

I hid that thread almost immediately. It felt messy from the outset.

Good choice @LondonWolf , it really didn't get any better!
@RandomPenguinHouse is still battling away , I've no idea how she can keep putting up with the abuse !

@jeffgoldblum I’m assuming from your supportive posts to me on the Podcast thread in TRF that you don’t mind if I post a link to my new podcast thread here. As I said on the Podcast thread I wanted to freely discuss that particular episode (Dragon Lady) and East Asian representation. It felt provocative to put a link to mine on there, so I’m doing it here where there are many of the same posters.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/_chat/4652981-archetype-podcast-ep-the-demystification-of-dragon-lady

Lol at x posts @jeffgoldblum

I’ve probably left that thread now, but never say never

@RandomPenguinHouse , no not at all! And welcome 🤗, as I said on the other thread, I found your knowledge on that subject fascinating, and wanted to know more.
I wanted to ask if you'd started a thread but didn't want to draw the wrong attention.

🤣 , I've just cross posted with you too! 🤣

Actually, @IcedPurple , the book deal was agreed in July 2021, AFTER his Oprah Winfrey Interview in March 2021, not before, So he has not diluted anything.

The deal Harry (and Meghan) made is for 20 million USD for 4 books, not just for one book by Harry. The other books include a rather ponderous sounding title on philanthropy and leadership from both Meghan and Harry, and a cloyingly sweet sounding book from Meghan on wellness. I definitely would not buy either, but here appears to be a market for both.

I work in publishing so can confirm that payments are divided into three:

Payment 1 on on signing the contract.

Payment 2 on delivering a finished manuscript.

Payment 3 on the book's publication.

This is industry standard.

I believe the amount they actually received upfront has been wildly exaggerated. They will have received at most, one third of 20 million, so about 7 million max, to cover all the four books. There is no way that a publisher will give all of the advance before a book has been written. It just doesn't work that way.

If Harry doesn't deliver the manuscript as agreed, he will pay back the one third for the memoir. The advance for other books will not be affected as presumably, he and Meghan will want to deliver on them all.

If they cancel the whole contract, for all the books, then they will have to pay back about 7 million.

Read more on the deal here.

www.vanityfair.com/style/2021/07/prince-harry-meghan-markle-four-book-deal-20-million-random-house-memoirs-leadership-wellness

@MrsMaxDeWinter

Thanks for that, very useful. Can I ask what would the printing costs and what initial run size would you expect for a book of this type ?

Great question @Ohnonevermind !

For a book of this kind, with an advance of 5 Million dollars (as it is Book One in a four book deal), the initial hardcover print run would be a minimum of 100 000 copies, going up to a million in hard cover. That is where the sweet money is for publishers because hardcovers are more expensive.

Generally, paperbacks come out about a year after the hardcover, so they would want to maximise.

If he sells even 500 000 hardcovers at say 15 dollars each, he will have earned his advance in hardcovers alone.

Paperbacks are cheaper and are around for longer so there is potential there too.

Ebooks are more lucrative for authors than publishers, with royalties as high as 30 per cent depending on the market.

And if Harry is smart, he will have sold world rights to his publisher, meaning that any foreign sales and translation rights also help him make his advance.

For a book deal of this size, the publisher will spend about a million, if not more, on just the printing (its cheaper than you think if you outsource to India, Malaysia etc) and for publicity, which is always more expensive than printing.

@MrsMaxDeWinter
Thanks for your insights.

If its £20m for 4 books, would they give him the advance for all 4 at the same time?

Wouldn't they wait to see how well Book 1 sold before investing in Book 2?

Another curious question, if a boom is being release say 1st November how far in advance would they start printing it?

For a book of this kind, with an advance of 5 Million dollars (as it is Book One in a four book deal), the initial hardcover print run would be a minimum of 100 000 copies, going up to a million in hard cover. That is where the sweet money is for publishers because hardcovers are more expensive.

Would he/they really get the same amount for each book though? I’d have thought this book would be the one with the biggest advance because it’ll be the one with the biggest potential audience. And the work and “self” that goes into it will be greater than that of the wellness book.