February 16, 2012 - Amanda Knox has just signed a deal with the publishers HaperCollins for close to $4M. for her book which is due out in early 2013. It was certainly no mystery that Amanda was writing a book, and it was no secret that there was a recent 'auction' to determine who would publish that book. Personally I was not surprised that it went for $4M despite some publishers saying the book would be a gamble. There was plenty of interest among the major publishers with bids coming in from at least seven, and with interest from about twenty different publishers, with lucky HarperCollins signing Amanda for an estimated $4M (one source I know of states $3.8M) for World Rights.
To those who may think that HaperCollins is taking a big gamble with their $4M, I would have to say I think they got a good deal considering the book will probably be a best seller in the U S, and not only that but with World Rights millions more will be sold in Great Britain, Italy, and Germany, where there is a lot of interest in the case.
While it is true that there have been other books about the murder of Meredith and the arrest and trials of Amanda Knox, no one except Knox can tell this story from a first person point of view. No one except Knox can tell all the hidden details of the case, and her personal experiences inside Capanne prison. No one except Amanda Knox has the inside story, and that is exactly what a great many people want to hear- what really happened according to Amanda Knox. That is exactly the recipe for a non-fiction best seller in this country, and Europe also.
HarperCollins has stated that the book will reveal "never before told details surrounding the case". One of HC's top editors Claire Wachtel is the editor appointed to work with Knox on this book, and the book is scheduled to be released in early 2013. Although HaperCollins has not stated such as yet- expect translations in German, Italian and French to quickly follow the American edition. With such a large market at their disposal for this book, I don't think HaperCollins will have any trouble making a substantial profit on their investment.... Congratulations to Amanda and Family.
Coming to a bookstore near you.
