Total Advance Paid Out to Ana Marie Cox: $275,000
Total Number of Books Sold (thanks to Ron Hogan’s Bookscan detective work): 3,800
Price of Hardcover Edition of Dog Days: $23.95
Number of Copies of Dog Days That Need to Be Sold to Equal Ana Marie Cox’s Advance: 11,458
Now I’m hardly a financial genius and I couldn’t even guess as to the production and promotion costs associated with Dog Days. But even considering Cox’s upcoming appearances on the West Coast, if 3,800 copies is the number that comes after all that Gray Lady coverage, I’m guessing that either (a) there isn’t really much of a market for cutesy political novels or (b) bloggers aren’t nearly as salable as they think they are. Let’s consider the actual gross that goes straight to the publisher. Clearly with a sizable advance, Riverhead was hoping that this book would sell big. Somewhere in the area of 30,000 copies, I’m guessing.
So either Kate Lee[1] Gary Morris’s persuasive abilities are bar none or the waft of a shaggy dog travels fast.
[1] Thanks, Sarah!
I’d like to know how Julie Powell did with Julie&Julia – that should give a good comparison on the “do bloggers sell” question.
Any way to find out?
You can’t really use DOG DAYS as an example of Kate Lee’s prowess since she’s not Ana Marie’s agent (Gary Morris is) but BAR MITZVAH DISCO (which she does rep) is probably a better indication…
Oh, I don’t know — Jane just gave Days a rave review, so perhaps there will be more women’s mag coverage that moves some copies. That seems to be who the book is pitched at anyway. I’m not saying it will earn out, but I think it’ll do okay when it’s all said and done.
It’s a little childish to say that the poor sals for AMC’s book could mean that “bloggers aren’t nearly as salable as they think they are” based on one book, by one blogger.
Chris Lehman? Is that you?
Nope. Don’t know him.