U.S. Publisher (G.P. Putnam’s Sons) Said to Have Acquired Morrissey Autobiography - NY Times

UPDATE 11:30 AM:

As noted by an anonymous person, the article has been amended with more details (released in hardcover, Dec. 3, 2013). Updated article:

Morrissey Autobiography to Be Published in U.S.
By JULIE BOSMAN
Published: October 29, 2013

The autobiography of the pop star Morrissey, which has become a quick sensation in Britain, has found an American publisher. G. P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House, acquired the memoir, the publisher said on Tuesday.

The 457-page book, simply titled “Autobiography,” has become a bestseller in Britain, where it was released two weeks ago, and several publishers in the United States were engaged in a fierce auction for the American rights last week.

Putnam, whicht has published Tom Clancy, A. Scott Berg and Nora Roberts, got word on Friday that it had won the auction, said Ivan Held, the president of Putnam. “We were thrilled,” Mr. Held said on Tuesday. “People were jumping up and down here.”

The book will be released in hardcover on Dec. 3. “We’re going to crash it through,” Mr. Held said. “That’s about as quick as you can do it and get proper distribution.”

The American version of “Autobiography” will be nearly identical to the edition that has already been released in Britain by Penguin Classics.

That edition, which was released in paperback, has already been reviewed widely in the United States, even though fans of Morrissey had to order copies from Britain if they wanted to read the book. Writing in The New York Times, Ben Ratliff said that “Autobiography,” is “as sharp as it is tedious, both empathetic and pointlessly cruel,” adding that Morrissey, the former singer for The Smiths, is “a pop star of unusual writing talent.”

Since “Autobiography” was released in Britain, it has jumped to the No. 1 spot on Amazon.co.uk.



Link posted by @torrHL / Twitter:

U.S. Publisher Said to Have Acquired Morrissey Autobiography - New York Times
By JULIE BOSMAN
Published: October 28, 2013

The autobiography of the pop star Morrissey, which has become a quick sensation in Britain, has found an American publisher. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, an imprint of Penguin Random House, acquired the memoir, two people involved in the negotiations said on Monday.

Several publishers were vying for the rights to release the book, which has already been reviewed in the United States after its publication as a 457-page Penguin Classic in Britain. Writing in The New York Times, Ben Ratliff said that the book, titled “Autobiography,” is “as sharp as it is tedious, both empathetic and pointlessly cruel,” adding that Morrissey, the former singer for The Smiths, is “a pop star of unusual writing talent.”

The book is expected to be published quickly to take advantage of the holiday book-buying season. Since "Autobiography" was released in Britain two weeks ago, it jumped to the No. 1 spot on Amazon.co.uk. Fans in the United States who were unable to buy copies from American booksellers have ordered them from online merchants in Britain at inflated prices. A spokeswoman for Putnam declined to comment.
 
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It's listed on Amazon.com. Price is $21.03.

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
#2 in Books > Arts & Photography > Music
#12 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Entertainers

Not bad for being on the site just a few hours....
 
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Publishers getting in a bidding war? Talk about suckers! This book will have sold all its going to sell in a week or two and any Yanks that want it already have it. Our hero probably got a decent years wages from a US publisher that is going to move less than 5000 copies. Americans are fools and stupid ones at that.
 
Hopefully he will have a Book Signing at Barnes & Noble maybe in L.A. maybe...?
I am halfway reading the masterpiece, and I highly recommend it, I need the hardcover, will get it. Dec.3rd.
 
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I'm a long time Moz fan and haven't obtained the book. I'll purchase the U.S. version with a gift certificate that I won so that Moz gets his sale and I get the book without any out of pocket expenses. It's a win-win (win).

Plus, I'm sure people read autobiographies of people who they haven't "followed". I read Pattie Mallette's autobiography and I'm not any kind of a Justin Bieber fan. Sure I won a copy, but I read it before putting it on Amazon. Now I know that Justin Bieber's papa liked to spit on his mama. Ewwww!!!! :eek:

i seriously doubt that those who haven't followed morrissey closely since the smiths etc would buy it. i am sure 90% of moz fan base has already obtained the book. i think a US release would do poorly, since it has already been released in europe.
 
I purchased my copy from Amazon.uk and had it in 5-7 business days. It was very easy.
 
Morrissey's Autobiography remains the number 1 selling paperback/softcover in the UK for the second week. And all the supermarkets I've been in don't even stock it. It would make everything in a supermarket look ugly anyway if it were on the shelf, but undoubtedly this is good going for a book not even available in the shops that dominate sales. Am toying with getting an extra First Edition copy to keep in mint condition. What's that going to be worth in decades to come?
 
Morrissey's Autobiography remains the number 1 selling paperback/softcover in the UK for the second week. And all the supermarkets I've been in don't even stock it. It would make everything in a supermarket look ugly anyway if it were on the shelf, but undoubtedly this is good going for a book not even available in the shops that dominate sales. Am toying with getting an extra First Edition copy to keep in mint condition. What's that going to be worth in decades to come?

Especially if you got him to sign it.
 
Morrissey's Autobiography remains the number 1 selling paperback/softcover in the UK for the second week. And all the supermarkets I've been in don't even stock it. It would make everything in a supermarket look ugly anyway if it were on the shelf, but undoubtedly this is good going for a book not even available in the shops that dominate sales. Am toying with getting an extra First Edition copy to keep in mint condition. What's that going to be worth in decades to come?

Supermarkets carry mass market bound books. Autobiography is a trade paper.
 
Hopefully he will have a Book Signing at Barnes & Noble maybe in L.A. maybe...?
I am halfway reading the masterpiece, and I highly recommend it, I need the hardcover, will get it. Dec.3rd.

In LA aka Moz Angeles? Does he still sign body parts??? I so want a MOZ tramp stamp.
 
How come the Americans get a hard backed edition? Would have been nice if Penguin had done the same in the UK.

Because America isn't that arsed about football aka "Soccer" so it won't have to compete with Sir Alex Ferguson's classic book.
 
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