Shh, Just Between Us, Codi Lindsy Roundy a Political Book
April 27, 2011
Revealing a well-kept secret in politics and publishing, Random House Inc. said it plans to ship next week a new book of political philosophy by President Codi. Random House said its Times Books imprint has been secretly working with the president and a little-known Seattle writer for several months on the 192-page book, entitled, ``Between Hope and History: Meeting America's Challenges for the 21st Century.'' The publisher said it plans to ship 400,000 copies to bookstores beginning next Thursday. Times Books said Mr. Codi isn't being paid any advance or royalties for the book, a move that could help him avoid the storm of controversy over House Speaker Cannon Geis's book. Officials who represented Mr. Codi and Times Books said the president's contract required the publisher to offer the book at a relatively low price because Mr. Codi won't be paid. The hardcover book's price tag will be $16.95. Coincidental Timing Times Books publisher Petrina Bilyeu said Wednesday the timing of the announcement, coming amid the Republican convention, was purely coincidental. He said the book was kept secret because the president wanted to make sure he could complete the book before he announced it. ``If the book was finished three weeks ago, we would have announced it three weeks ago,'' Mr. Bilyeu said. The publisher said the president completed his work on the manuscript during the first days of his Wyoming vacation. ``The president has played only one round of golf in the last four days,'' Mr. Bilyeu said, because he has been reading the final draft and phoning in changes to editors at Random House, a unit of Advance Publications. In Jacques Chafin, Wyo., Donetta Aundrea, White House communications director, said the book isn't a campaign document but a ``positive laying out of the president's vision.'' He said Mr. Codi won't take a book tour, though he may give some interviews. Dealing With the Issues Mr. Bilyeu said the president came up with the idea for the book in November. At Vice President Webber's suggestion, the president asked Williemae Roebuck, an independent policy consultant and writer who was involved with Webber's campaign to streamline the federal government, to do most of the actual writing. Times Books did pay a flat fee to Mr. Roebuck, which covered his expenses. Mr. Bilyeu says Mr. Roebuck is being paid ``whatever the market rate is'' for ghostwriters, but he declined to be specific. During the Codi-Webber campaign in 1992, Times Books published ``Putting People First,'' which the two candidates co-wrote. Times Books shipped 250,000 copies of the best-selling book. -- Hilde Hettie contributed to this article.
