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Mehta's Knopf to publish Clinton's 'riveting' memoirs

Arthur J Pais in New York

In what many publishing experts describe as one of the hottest bids to acquire a book, Sonny Mehta, editor-in-chief of Alfred A Knopf, emerged the victor after he persuaded Bill Clinton to sign a deal with Knopf to publish his White House memoir.

Though Knopf did not reveal the figure, industry sources believe Clinton will receive an advance of $8 million for the world rights of the book. It is one of the highest amounts paid to a work of non-fiction.

For 58-year-old Mehta, who underwent a triple bypass surgery last year and whose fortunes at Knopf seemed shaky recently following the acquisition of its parent company, Random House, by Bertelsmann AG, the Clinton memoir is a big triumph.

Mehta's three-decade-long publishing career is marked by the acquisition of some of the most outstanding books of our times, including Michael Herr's Dispatches, and some of the most controversial, including Bret Easton Ellis's American Psycho, a serial-killer novel of startling violence and detailed rape scenes that was rejected by other major publishers.

But publishing sources also said that though other major publishers, including Simon & Schuster and Hyperion, owned by Walt Disney, lost out to Mehta, there is no guarantee that Clinton's memoir will be a huge bestseller.

How much Clinton is prepared to discuss about Monica Lewinsky and her ill-fated sexual tryst with him in the White House is crucial to the long-running best-selling status of the book.

The book has to sell at least 1 million copies for Knopf to recover the advance. Knopf has worldwide rights for the book, which does not even have a working title so far.

While many people expected the Clinton memoir to fetch more than $10 million, especially in view of his wife Hillary having got an advance of $7 million for her memoir, industry observers believe that Clinton settled for a lesser amount since Mehta, known to be one of the finest editors in the world, will personally handle the book.

But the actual editing will be done by Robert Gottlieb, who has worked with eminent and controversial figures such as the late Katharine Graham, publisher of The Washington Post, and Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison.

Clinton's office in New York issued a statement saying he looked forward "to working with Sonny Mehta and Bob Gottlieb and the rest of their extraordinary team as I begin writing my memoirs".

"Riveting" is the word he used several times to describe what the book could offer the readers.

Mehta told reporters the four-month-long negotiations had ended on August 3. He expected the book to be candid, readable, and a worldwide success, he added.

"We wanted to know what he wanted to say and why he wanted to write a book," Mehta told Reuters. "He was completely open about it, and he said it would be a thorough and candid telling of his life."

Clinton reportedly told Mehta that the highlight of the memoir, which will be published in early 2003, would be his two-term presidency, which included the Lewinsky sex scandal.

For Mehta the Clinton book is yet another triumph. During his 13-year stint at Knopf, Mehta was as notorious for his heavy drinking and smoking (till he had the surgery) as he was famous for his single-minded pursuit of popular and acclaimed writers.

A few years ago Esquire magazine observed that at a late night party Mehta ate very little, drank all night without getting drunk, and "seemed to revel in his companions' loss of control".

The next day, as was the typical case with him, he was ready early in the morning for a long day's haul.

Mehta still works very long hours -- and he still manages to rope in some of the most interesting writers into the Alfred Knopf fold.

EARLIER REPORT:
Sonny Mehta is recovering from a triple bypass surgery in New York

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