Dead Broke: Hillary Clinton's book sales have covered only half of $14m advance.

The sales drop of Hillary Clinton's latest memoir has turned into an avalanche and is set to cost publisher Simon & Schuster millions if Hard Choices doesn't recover quickly enough to cover the estimated $14 million advance they paid the former first lady.

According to new New York Times numbers, her book will be pushed further down on the July 20 best-seller list by the anti-Clinton book Blood Feud, by former Timesman Edward Klein.

Industry sources said that Blood Feud will trounce Hard Choices in the three biggest categories. In hardcover sales, Klein’s book will be No. 1, followed by Clinton’s at No. 2. In e-book sales, Blood Feud is third, Hard Choices 17th. And in the Big Kahuna, combined sales, Blood Feud is second, Clinton’s book fifth.

Publishing sources said that Clinton has sold 177,236 hardcovers. E-book sales aren’t available, but her numbers are very low, said the sources. Even at 200,000 total sales, simple math finds that for Simon & Schuster to cover the $14 million advance, each book would have had to sell for about $70. Amazon offers it for $20.94, about $14 off the $35 list price. It has dropped to 103rd in Amazon sales, compared to 10th for Blood Feud.

Even at full price, 200,000 in sales would cover just half — $7 million — of Clinton’s advance.

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Author:

Paul Bedard

Washington Secrets