Clinton Gets Millions for ‘Candid’ Book

Former President Bill Clinton sold his memoirs to Alfred A. Knopf, it was announced Monday, after he told top executives of the New York publisher that he wanted to write a “very thorough and candid telling of his life.”

Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but estimates within New York publishing circles ran as high as $12 million as the amount Knopf spent for the Clinton book, which is scheduled to appear in 2003.

That sum would set a record advance for nonfiction, exceeding the $8.5 million paid for worldwide rights in 1994 for a book by Pope John Paul II.

“All the figures are speculation,” said Robert Barnett, the Washington lawyer who represents Clinton as well as his wife, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, in literary matters. “Only six people know and they are not telling.”

Clinton’s book appeared certain to surpass the advance of $8 million received by the former first lady last December from Simon & Schuster for her memoir.

Sonny Mehta, president and editor-in-chief of Knopf, said discussions with the 42nd president began in the early spring, and during a “quite extensive meeting,” Clinton talked about the memoir he wanted to write. No outline was presented.

“He said the book would deal with all the principal events of his life. . . . We talked mostly in generalities about the presidency and the path that had led him to it,” Mehta said, adding that Monica S. Lewinsky “did not come up in so many words.”

Plans call for the former president to write the memoir without the assistance of a ghost writer. However, he will be helped by a staff that will include researchers, interviewers and document retrievers.

Robert Gottlieb, who has worked with such well-known authors as Toni Morrison, Robert A. Caro and Barbara W. Tuchman, will be Clinton’s editor.

In contrast to his wife, who solicited interest from several publishing houses during White House meetings, Clinton concentrated on a single publisher.

The book deals amount to a windfall for the Clintons, who as of Dec. 31 still faced a combined $3.9 million in legal fees stemming from the impeachment hearings and other investigations. The Clinton legal defense fund had paid $7.4 million in legal fees by the end of last year.

Barnett said the former president initially received “an enormous” number of offers from domestic and international publishers and studied them all.

“He decided to meet with Knopf and was very impressed with Sonny Mehta and decided to proceed in this way,” the lawyer said.

Said Mehta: “He is a riveting storyteller. He has a wonderful voice, and I am delighted he will try to preserve that great speaking voice in print.”

The publisher said that in addition to the long meeting with Clinton in Miami, there were a number of phone conversations among the ex-president and top editors at Knopf further clarifying the content of the book. Sen. Clinton did not take part in the discussions.

Both Mehta and Barnett declined to discuss whether the contract contained an acceptability clause, which under certain circumstances could require Clinton to return the advance if Knopf determines the manuscript is not editorially satisfactory.

“I think the publisher is satisfied he will deliver a terrific book he will be proud of and the publisher will be proud of,” Barnett said. “ . . . The president is going to write a comprehensive and candid book.”

In a statement, Clinton said, “I look forward to working with Sonny Mehta and Bob Gottlieb and the rest of their extraordinary team, as I begin writing my memoirs.”

Knopf acquired worldwide publishing rights to the book, which will also appear as a trade paperback in 2004. The contract includes pre- and post-publication serial rights, English language and translation rights, and audio and electronic rights.

Knopf is a division of Random House Inc., whose parent is Bertelsmann AG, the Germany-based media company.

The core of the memoir will be Clinton’s White House years, which included the Lewinsky scandal that brought about his impeachment, Knopf said. In his discussions with Knopf’s executives, the former president spoke of a number of policy initiatives of which he is proud, the publisher said.

With such a turbulent presidency, the issue of the kind of book Clinton will eventually deliver is critical to Knopf, said people in the publishing industry.

“Although this situation may be an atypical situation, most agreements between publishers and authors contain a so-called acceptability clause,” said Michael Rudell, a New York lawyer who represents a number of prominent authors.