[S]en. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., isn’t saying much publicly about his future national political plans. But privately, the potential repeat presidential candidate is stockpiling a bookload of thoughts.
“In the world that I live in, we communicate by tweets,” he told publishing industry insiders at the recent BookExpo trade show in New York City. “Sometimes it takes more than 248 characters or whatever it is to make the point.”
That’s why Sanders is writing “Where We Go from Here,” a 320-page hardcover whose fall release promises to fuel speculation about a 2020 White House bid.
“Senator Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign was a beginning, not an end,” Thomas Dunne Books, an imprint of global publishing powerhouse Macmillan, is telling retailers about the coming title. “In his new book, America’s most popular political figure speaks about what he’s been doing to oppose the Trump agenda and strengthen the progressive movement and how we go forward as a nation.”
Sanders has been silent after Politico just reported he has met with former President Barack Obama to discuss the future of the Democratic Party, all while the Vermonter’s 2016 presidential campaign manager, Jeff Weaver, told C-SPAN his former boss is “considering another run.”
But the title and timing of Sanders’ new book may speak volumes, as Obama’s 2006 “The Audacity of Hope,” Mitt Romney’s 2010 “No Apology” and Hillary Rodham Clinton’s 2014 “Hard Choices” each were released two years before their author’s presidential runs.
Sanders, whose 2016 election post-mortem “Our Revolution” surprised many by hitting No. 1 on Amazon.com’s best sellers list, has yet to finish the follow-up.
“Don’t tell the publisher I’m a little bit behind,” he told a BookExpo audience, “but we’re making progress.”
Sanders first used the title “Where We Go From Here” for a June 2016 speech he gave after losing that year’s Democratic presidential nomination to Clinton, then cited it again for a November 2016 New York Times column after Donald Trump’s general election win.
The new book — priced at $27.99, the same figure as Sanders’ average campaign contribution — originally was set for release Nov. 13. But Macmillan has moved the publication date to Oct. 30 — a week before the Nov. 6 midterm elections in which he’ll seek another congressional term.
“Senator Sanders plans to tour in support of the book,” publicist Gabrielle Gantz says, “but dates and cities have not yet been decided.”
The text, its author said at BookExpo, is shaped by two goals. The first: “Developing an agenda that speaks to the needs of working families.” The second: “Understanding you’re not going to be able to push an agenda unless you have elected officials ready to implement the legislation that is necessary.”
Since the 2016 vote, Sanders has traveled to 28 states to campaign for progressive candidates and causes.
“Mostly states, by the way, that Donald Trump won,” he said at BookExpo. “Trump lied to the American people during his campaign when he said he would stand with working families. That in fact, his administration, more than any administration in the history of our country, is loaded with billionaires and extremely wealthy people who are pushing an agenda that benefits the rich while attacking the middle class and working families in an almost unprecedented way.”
The book promises to help Sanders not only politically but also personally. The author has received a $505,000 advance for his latest title, U.S. Senate financial disclosure forms reveal. That’s less than the $795,000 he earned for “Our Revolution” but more than the $63,750 he collected for the youth adaptation “Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution.”
That last title debuted in the summer of 2017 after Teen Vogue shared an “exclusive” sneak peek.
“Your Next Beach Read,” the magazine declared.
“Where We Go From Here” isn’t offering a similar teaser.
“If you read the book,” Sanders told industry insiders in New York, “I’ll give you some more information.”
