Rich Reads: The 10 Biggest Book Advances Of All Time | TheRichest
When people think of authors, they tend to think of dark loners or people from the Victorian age who have chosen to dedicate their lives to the grueling world of information, research, and half-present experience. But there is another side to literature and books that comes from the celebrity culture, one that has wealth, taste, extravagance, that makes their life seem a little bit more like a Wes Anderson movie and a little less like Barfly.
These writers are the former, successful entrepreneurs, businessmen and women, powerful characters and Presidents who shape culture and commanded the public with the flick of their wrist, the nod of their head, or the post of their Instagram. They can sell books like a man who hucks peanuts out into the crowds at a stadium or circus, where interaction and taste doesn't matter but everyone seems to be craving something salty to satisfy themselves if only for a second. Some of these books have been ghostwritten, while others on this list put in the time, the effort, and the strenuous task of using the jaws of life to pry out their inner soul just long enough to scribble it down on a piece of paper and document that one short moment of truth that someone out there will relate to. Those are the ones who have earned their reputation and spot as having the biggest book advances in the history of literature.
10 Jennifer Egan: Manhattan Beach, $1 million
Jennifer Egan stormed onto the literary scene with her debut novel The Invisible Circus. Shortly after its release a feature film was made which earned her a much wider audience. But it wasn't until the release of A Visit From The Goon Squad that she became a certified literary master, blending genres, styles, and escaping the elements of time altogether. The novel earned her a Pulitzer Prize as well as a $1 million deal for her next book, Manhattan Beach. Her next novel, The Candy House, will be released in April of 2022.
9 Emma Cline: The Girls, $2 million
Few books have earned more controversy and attention in the modern era than Emma Cline's debut The Girls. The bidding war for the novels rights was between 12 publishers, resulting in Random House paying the $2 million winning bid to the 2-year-old. The novel went on to win the Shirley Jackson Prize, but also found itself in another controversy between Cline and a former boyfriend which involved plagiarism, cheating, blackmail, and more scandals. The life of the book has a plot of its own.
8 Kristen Roupenian: You Know You Want This, $1.2 million
Kristen Roupenian is best recognized for her short stories including Cat Person which is one of the few literary works to go viral across the internet. Her $1.2 million advance for her collection of short stories featured the hefty price as Cat People was included in the anthology. The short story about dating in the metaverse was featured in The New Yorker, The Atlantic, and The Washington Post which all contributed to the additional hype.
7 Tom Wolfe: Back to Blood, $7 million
The chameleon in the white suit, Tom Wolfe blended in with the most radical, subversive, and culturally relevant groups of his time and portrayed them in a subjectively-objective point of view that created its honest from its perspective. He single-handedly created the genre of New Journalism through his articles and books which has in turn created the endless blogs, vlogs, and Facebook posts of the modern era. His contributions to journalism and fiction are incalculable so it's only fitting that his last novel, Back To Blood, earned a $7 million advance.
6 J.K. Rowling: The Casual Vacancy, $8 million
J.K. Rowling is a mythological figure in her own right whose personal story contains the same elements of bravery and innovation as the hero's journey she outlined in her Harry Potter series. The first novel in the series was published in 1997 when Rowling was coming off a turbulent life experience which included the death of her mother, the birth of her first child, a divorce, and abject poverty. She funneled her energy into a funny looking kid and quickly they both took the world by storm. The Casual Vacancy was one of Rowlings first ventures into the world of adult fiction and the hype around the novel resulted in an $8 million advance.
5 Pope John Paul II: Crossing The Threshold of Hope, $8.5 million
Pope John Paul II was known for his ability to unify groups of people together over common ideals and beliefs. He strengthened relations between much of the Jewish, Islamic, and Eastern Orthodox religions and his ability to relate to varying groups of different experience is also in part what led to his successful $8.5 million book deal. He was later canonized as a Saint in part due to his passion for his Polish roots which eventually led to Pope John Paul II ending the communistic rule of the country.
4 Bruce Springsteen: Born to Run, $10 million
Born to run or born to write? Springsteen created a crowd behind his everyday, workingman aesthetic and regardless of whether it was planned or honest, it worked. He not only made a fortune through his music, but his songwriting carried over into the world of literature. His autobiography, Born to Run, earned a $10 million advance. And his influence over the culture still shows no signs of slowing down as Springsteen recently announced he will be co-hosting a podcast with another author featured on this list, President Barack Obama.
3 Hillary Clinton: Living History, $14 million
Hillary Clinton is a powerful woman whose life has consisted of a series of calculated decisions that landed her close to the President of the United States several times throughout her career. Whether it was beside her husband, as a confidante of Barack Obama, or as a candidate herself, Clinton has done more for the country that most political figures of the past century. With a power that no one truly knows the extent of, she has proven herself further by receiving a $14 million book deal for Living History, just one of her books in a canon of over 30 unique titles.
2 Bill Clinton: My Life $15 million
A powerful couple, it's no surprise that Hillary and Bill have landed spots next to one another on the list. Bill Clinton knew exactly who to talk to and how to climb the political ladder. He went from a governor of Arkansas to President of the United States in just under 10 years and was able to surround himself with some of the richest and most controversial figures in all of US history. While his presidency and personal life have almost always been a whirlwind of controversy, it has made for an interesting tale. On that Knopf publishing was able to put a monetary value on, $15 million, the highest fee ever paid by a publisher at the time.
1 Barack Obama: Dreams From My Father, $20 million
Contrary to Hillary Clinton's book title, Barack Obama truly is living history. He was the first black President of the United States, a statistic everyone has written about but no one can truly comprehend. He changed the world and the status quo and gave hope to eternal generations of citizens in the country. It was only fitting that his $20 million book endeavor would also feature generational impacts within the title, Dreams from My Father. Obama continues to shape the culture of the country with a more hands off role which has included podcasts, book lists, movie reviews, and his own job as a curator for Netflix. Despite leaving the Presidency, Obama is just as much involved in the shape of the culture as he was during his inauguration.
Regardless of how or why these writers write, they have all accomplished the monumental task of completing a book. And while some grifters have found ways to skirt out of their deliveries, each of these figures managed to produce a work of art based on their lives, experiences, or emotions. No matter the intent or the content, publishing a book with this much of a nominal amount behind it is an accomplishment that should be acknowledged and celebrated, ghost writer or not. And while they may not end up sustaining the lists of the greatest literature of all time, they have found their way onto a list of their own, one that involves finance over content, but one that still holds significance in the overall canon of literature.
Sources:
CelebrityNetWorth, LitHub, Flavorwire, TheStreet, TheGuardian, GoodReads, WhatCulture, NPS, CBS, Pulitzer, FT, ChiPubLib, BBC, Magiscenter, NewYorker, ShortForm, IGN
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