New Murdoch Book Sales Disappointing

Despite getting very good play by the press, Michael Wolff's new book on Rupert Murdoch is not burning up the best-seller lists.

"The Man Who Owns The News" tackles a politically sexy topic: the reign and empire of the NewsCorp chair. And, as such, the work has been featured on a variety of prime time shows. But currently, Amazon.com Sales rankings had it at #1,452 -- a disappointing showing for a topic that generally garners large public interest.

Earlier this week, two separate people connected to the publishing world hinted that because of the poor showing, the publisher of the book was set to pull back expenditures on its publicity. But David Drake, the publicity director of Broadway Books, assured the Huffington Post that this was not the case.

"Unequivocally not, absolutely not," he said. "We have seen a tremendous response in the media to it. Certainly, not as a matter of company policy, we don't give out sales figures. But I wouldn't characterize us as disappointed."

Drake went on to note that Wolff's work, like all others, is "subject to the bigger marketplace issue affecting books." But he added that, "this is the kind of book that we publish with enthusiasm."

So what is there to account for the poor sales? The News Corp head, according to press accounts of the book, comes off as a generally well-balanced figure concerned that his empire would be defined simply by Fox News and straying, gradually, to more liberal politics. He's portrayed as absolutely despising conservative Fox News host Bill O'Reilly.

One Democrat speaking on anonymity suggested Wolff, who writes for Vanity Fair, took too easy a pen to Murdoch.

Comments

[dgscol]

Rupert suffers from the aboriginal man's curse! That, and he should not make money on a book, when he pays no US taxes. Karma?

[scadabout]

GO AWAY RUPERT

[wembakoy]

Please read and share the link below:

http://okonda.com/please_save_my_people.html

Save my people I beg you. You can do it.

[pons1595]

Why buy a book about this "man." As disgusting a human being as he is, reading about him would be too much. Wasting even a penny on him would be a monumental "sin." Boycott all things Pox News to the death!

[Academic]

For a moment I was buoyed up when I read the words Murdoch and fallen flat. I thought it was Murdoch who was so laid out - you know what I mean. Then I discovered to my dismay that it was simply his book and not the man that the writer was talking about. Still, we can all live in hope.

Professor Stanley V. Collymore.

[trendier]

Hahaha......I always wondered who would want to read such crap and now I know. Nobody!

[glorialovelace]

On the contrary, the evolution of Rupert Murdoch is a fascinating subject.

I don't have any respect for people who blather about this book without having read it. If you are going to hate Rupert Murdoch, you should probably take the trouble of learning something about him, so you will know what you are talking about. Otherwise, your input is just empty yapping.

My problem with "The Man Who Owns the News" -- so far -- is that Wolff leaves out a lot of material that -- in my opinion -- should be included in a book of this kind.

[George Whizz]

Rupert who??

[dhfsfc]

Michael Wolffe is, and always has been, a light-weight. He likes to express opinions, apply labels, but as far as actual research and work, not so much. And Wolffe's always been a sycophant to powerful people. He's going to put out a few "juicy bits," as someone else mentioned, but as far as publishing the truth that might alienate someone as powerful as Murdoch, he's not the one to do it.

[Artos]

Rupert Murdoch leans toward Liberalism. Now I've heard it all. That would be the biggest fable ever. The only reason he "hates" O'reilly is probably because he has to pay him too much and or he hasn't yet cornered the entire U.S. listening audience as a market. This guy who wrote the book for Murdoch must be in his pay or something because to me it all sounds like crap.

[hipichick7]

So WHO is this guy anyway?? Oh, I remember FAUX news!

[CitizenGeek]

Well, sorry Mr. Murdoch, but you are definitely defined by the utter disgrace that is Fox News.

[realpolitic]

The audience who watches Fox News does not read. They just point and grunt.

[littlepuffycloud]

LOL....great visual.

[JScott]

Well I guess there hasta be a Murdoch for every Branson, Gates or Buffett, but it's still too many.

[glorialovelace]

I am reading the book right now, and while it has its juicy bits -- I think it's got a great many holes in it. It is skimpy on Murdoch's early New York days, when he was in the process of converting Dolly Schiff's liberal New York Post into the rightwing tabloid it is now. With the exception of Col Allen -- a comparatively recent arrival -- there's not very much about the colorful Murdoch employees who gave his products their special pungency. There's hardly anything about the TV Guide debacle, and not a word about the start-up of Star Magazine. Perhaps Wolff isn't even aware that Murdoch owned -- and even personally worked in shirtsleeves -- in the Star's newsroom .

[GayIthacan]

Yet another indication that, outside of the Fox ZOO, few people care about these people.

[herenowgonetomorrow]

Petition to remove hannity of the Air sign now

http://deriesite.blogspot.com/

[Fair]

Where's the petition??