Few buyers for books by disgraced journalists Jayson Blair and Stephen Glass

Associated Press ^ | 3-18-04 | HILLEL ITALIE, AP National Writer

[Oldeconomybuyer]

NEW YORK (AP) -- Jayson Blair and Stephen Glass, two young journalists notorious for fabricating stories, have something else in common: Both have written highly publicized books that few people are buying.

Blair, a former New York Times reporter, received a six-figure advance for "Burning Down My Master's House." Published March 6, the book had an announced first printing of 250,000 and plenty of media coverage, including author interviews with Katie Couric on NBC and Larry King on CNN.

[Servant of the 9]

Blair had enough publicity to have created a best seller for any other author, on buzz alone.

Definitely a good news story

So9

[Tacis]

Blair has had an amazing amount of face time.I watched him very briefly on a couple and then stopped watching. Most interviewers, it seems, asked him for the cause of his problem. His only answer was "Racism." One or two interviewers pushed a little and he still said "racism." The left wingers nodded and, "Yeah, isn't it terrible." That's when I stopped watching.

But, Blair and the NYT have certainly set the standard for the level of reporting that I accept, especially in this campaign. And, racism is everywhere. Kerry stopped seeing a tall, leggy model he was hustling solely because she was black.

[Cicero]

Well, people might like to read a true confession about adultery, but plagiarism and lies aren't among the more exciting sins you can commit. This is not The Bridges of Madison County.

[DentsRun]

Blair's book had an announced first printing of 250,000 copies and they've only sold 1,400? What kind of an advance did he get? If it's anything over $500, his publisher is taking a bath.

[laurav]

Sigh... when will publishers get it? Some topics have a very limited shelf life. If the book doesn't come out RIGHT THEN it won't sell. Period. See Sen. Jim Jeffords' memoirs, which landed in the remainder bin mighty quick. People cared in early 2001. They didn't care by early 2003, which is when his book came out. I bet he got a big advance too. Since publishers take so long to bring books to press (Blair was rushed, and it still took 9 months) they have to guess what people will care about 9-18 months hence. Yet they put out the advance money based on the buzz at the moment. Foolish! The industry needs to reconsider its economics.

[Paleo Conservative]

People cared in early 2001. They didn't care by early 2003,

They didn't care after 8:48 a.m. EDT September 11, 2001.
Jeffords was only a story when President Bush's and Republicans' hold on power looked tenuous after the 2000 elections. After Jeffords jumped, the establishment press was looking forward to DemocRATS coming back in to control and picking up seats in the 2002 midterm elections. The terrorist attacks of September and October 2001 made all those analyses and scenarios irrelevant.

[Liz]

Negligent publishers should be charged with aiding and abetting. Instead, they're trying to cash in on Blair and Glass' atrocious anti-social behavior. Blair and Glass used computers to fake their stories. Why haven't they been charged with crimes for transferring false information, and for deception?

[Libloather]

...the book only sold about 1,400 copies...

A book about liars and the lies they got away with? Great. They deserve less than what they get...