Publishers still drawn to Trump

Expect plenty of reading material to be released after president departs

NEWYORK — One of publishing’s most thriving genres of the past four years, books about President Donald Trump, is not going to end when he leaves office.

In 2021 and beyond, look for releases about the Trump administration and about the president’s loss to Democratic candidate Joe Biden. Works already planned include the anti-Trump “Preventable: The Inside Story of How Leadership Failures, Politics, and Selfishness Doomed the U.S. Coronavirus Response,” by former Obamacare head Andy Slavitt. There’s a campaign book from New York Times reporters JonathanMartin and Alex Burns. And formerTrumpcampaign manager Brad Parscale is reportedly working on a memoir.

Expect detailed condemnations of the 45th president’s actions and rhetoric, from journalists and former associates, and also flattering accounts from White House allies and proTrump pundits. And there might be a book from Trump himself, who received nearly 74 millionvotes even as he became the first president in nearly 30 years to be defeated after one term.

“It was a very controversial presidency and the New York publishing world isn’t exactly packed with Trump fans,” says Matt Latimer of the Javelin literary agency, where clients have included former FBI Director James Comey and ex-National Security Adviser John Bolton.

“But there are tens of millions of Americans who look to the Trump presidency as an important time and are fans of his administration. At least some publishers will recognize that.”

Publishers often speak proudly about their openness to diverse voices, while also acknowledging that they like to make money. Several houses have conservative imprints that over the past few years have acquired books by everyone from Sean Hannity to Corey Lewandowski.

Simon & Schuster is Hillary Clinton’s longtime publisher, but through its conservative Threshold Editions released Trump’s most recent work, “Crippled America,” whichcameout in 2015. Center Street, a Hachette Book Group imprint, has published Donald Trump Jr., Newt Gingrich and Judge Jeanine Pirro among others.

“No matter their political beliefs, every American has personally experienced the seismic shift within Washington,” Center Street publisher Daisy Blackwell Hutton said in a statement.

There are risks in publishing Trump, although even presidents whohave left office highly unpopular, fromJimmy Carter to George W. Bush, managed to get book deals andrelease bestsellers. None were as polarizing as Trump or have so many upcoming legal battles, including a defamation lawsuit from E. Jean Carroll, one of more than 20women who have alleged sexual assault or misconduct by Trump.

Several publishers told the AP that they don’t believeTrump will have the same global appeal as former President Barack Obama, whose “A Promised Land” was released recently. Obama and his wife, former first lady Michelle Obama, agreed to a reported $65 million deal with Crown in 2017.

Any publisher signing with Trump or a top administration official might face the anger not just fromTrumpcriticsamongthe general public, but from within the industry. When Simon & Schuster signed up the far right journalist-commentator Milo Yiannopoulos in 2017, more than 100 authors publicly objected.

The publisher ended up dropping him amid allegations he approved of sex between men and young boys.

ANNAMONEYMAKER/THE NEWYORK TIMES 2019 At least three books about Donald Trump, including one from his ex-campaign manager, will come out when he leaves office.