Former President Donald Trump’s selection of JD Vance as his running mate has led to a surge in sales for “Hillbilly Elegy,” his best-selling memoir that came out in 2016. A spokesperson for HarperCollins told The Associated Press that more than 650,000 copies have been sold since Trump’s announcement on July 15. The total includes physical books, audio books and e-books. “We are printing hundreds of thousands of copies to fill the demand at our retail partners,” the publisher announced Thursday.
Quick Read
- Surge in ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ Sales:
- JD Vance chosen as Donald Trump’s running mate led to increased book sales.
- Over 650,000 copies sold since the announcement on July 15.
- Total sales now exceed 3 million copies.
- Publisher Response:
- HarperCollins printing hundreds of thousands of copies to meet demand.
- Sales include physical books, audiobooks, and e-books.
- Book Background:
- “Hillbilly Elegy” memoir published in 2016, adapted into a 2020 film by Ron Howard.
- Chronicles Vance’s childhood in Ohio and his family’s Kentucky roots.
- Widely cited for understanding Trump’s appeal to working-class whites post-2016 election.
- Some critics argue it presents a narrow, misleading view of Appalachia and U.S. poverty.
The Associated Press has the story:
Publisher plans massive ‘Hillbilly Elegy’ reprints to meet demand for VP candidate JD Vance’s book
Newslooks- NEW YORK (AP) —
Former President Donald Trump’s selection of JD Vance as his running mate has led to a surge in sales for “Hillbilly Elegy,” his best-selling memoir that came out in 2016.
A spokesperson for HarperCollins told The Associated Press that more than 650,000 copies have been sold since Trump’s announcement on July 15. The total includes physical books, audio books and e-books. “We are printing hundreds of thousands of copies to fill the demand at our retail partners,” the publisher announced Thursday.
Vance’s book already had sold more than 3 million copies before Trump chose him for the Republican ticket. “Hillbilly Elegy,” which Ron Howard adapted into a feature film released in 2020, tells of Vance’s childhood in Ohio and his family’s roots in rural Kentucky. After Trump’s stunning victory in 2016, the book was widely cited as essential reading for Trump opponents trying to understand his appeal to working class whites, even as some critics faulted it at as a narrow and misleading portrait of Appalachia and of poverty in the U.S.
