Why Did Andrew Cuomo’s Book Cost The Publisher $245 Per Copy?

Governor Andrew Cuomo (D-NY) is no stranger to shady dealings. Recent reports on Cuomo’s book deal are raising eyebrows and doing nothing to combat that reputation.

Cuomo’s book was a massive failure, selling only 3,200 copies. Cuomo’s book was such a dud that a planned paperback edition was nixed. Given Cuomo’s poor selling book, many were taken aback by the revelation that Cuomo made an astounding $783,000 from the book, or $245 per book sold:

“Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo reported his income last year more than doubled from the previous year, thanks to another round of royalty payments on a 2014 HarperCollins memoir that saw lackluster sales. In all, Cuomo has made $783,000 from HarperCollins for his book. The book sold 3,200 copies since it was published in the fall of 2014, according to tracking company NPD BookScan. That works out to royalty payments to Cuomo of $245 per book.”

Interestingly, when Cuomo’s book was released, he “declined invitations” to promote the book:

“Cuomo, a Democrat often mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in 2020, declined invitations to appear on television programs like ‘The Daily Show’ to promote the book, according to a March 2015 Wall Street Journal report. Cuomo’s editor, Claire Wachtel, said the publisher was blindsided by Cuomo’s decision not to plug the book on television.”

So far, Cuomo’s spokesman has declined to fully answer questions about how he made so much money from a failed book. Yet, given the governor’s poor ethical track record, New Yorkers deserve answers to these growing questions.