INBOX: Re: FW: PublicAffairs

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Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2003 16:37:44-0400
From: "" <skaplan@9-11 commission.gov>9
To: "" <pzelikow@9-11 commission.gov>^F, Philip Zelikow <pzelikow@9-11commission.gov>4P
Cc: "" <dmarcus@9-11commission.gov>#,"" <sdunne@9-11commission.gov>#,"" <ckojm@9-
11 commission.gov> 4f
Subject: Re: FW: PublicAffairs

Philip, et al:
AS you know, I am collecting information on printing options for both the final
report and the classified monographs. I have, for example, already spoken to
the GPO reps about how the Starr Report worked (they only sold a few thousand
printed copies--a big sale from their perspective). I plan to prepare a memo
summarizing my findings and recommendations soon, but here is a preview.
whatever arrangment the Commission makes with a commercial publishing house,
you may wish to consider that there be a version of the report in the public
domain available on the Intranet at no cost. The commercial avenue offers the
advantage of robust distribution, but an online report offers other advantages.
For example, like the Joint Inquiry, there will be links to the Commission's
report from major periodicals for months after the report's release, if the
Starr Report was wildly successful from PublicAffairs1 perspective, then one
would hope that they would be amenable to printing the Commission's report and
co-releasing it with the online version.
I don't know what your thinking on this point is, but I thought I would put the
idea out there having seen this exchange.
Stephanie
Quoting Philip Zelikow <pzelikow@9-llcommission.gov>:
> Dan --
>
> FYI. This follows up on phone conversations.
>
> The point in the message about independence is implicitly directed at
> Times Books, which has also indicated interest in this project.
>
> Please muse on this a bit. if we want to take this further, a logical
> next step might be to visit with Peter. I need to go to NYC anyway
> sometime reasonably soon to visit our office and spend more time with
> our staff there. You might wish to join in on part of that, especially
> if that ties in with meetings to address any document or legal issues
> with folks up there. So that might be an opportunity ...
>
> Philip
>
>
> Original Message
> From: osnos, Peter [mailto:Peter.Osnos@perseusbooks.com]
> Sent: Monday, August 04, 2003 7:00 PM
> To: 'pzelikow@9-llcommission.gov'
> Subject: PublicAffairs

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 iil:: INBOX: Re: FW: PublicAffairs Page 2 of 3

> Philip,
> AS we've discussed PublicAffairs is very
> interested
> in working with you and the commission on the narrative final report for
> distribution as a book simultaneous with its public release. I've
> selected
> three books we've done since 1998 as examples of our work that
> particularly
> intersect with the commission's subject and needs. They are (an eclectic
> bunch) The Starr Report; The Tianamen Papers and How Did This Happen:
> Terrorism and the New war (published with Foreign Affairs). I win have
> my
> office send you two copies of each along with some other material about
> PublicAffairs that I hope will help you explain us to your colleagues.
> The Starr Report, a public domain document, was
> published on the day of its release in September 1998. We worked with
> The
> Washington Post, which gave us a disc and their stories about the report
> and
> we made and shipped a book that was on-sale at $10 a copy in 72 hours.
> it
> was, as you doubtless recall, a huge seller. The point is that despite
> the
> availability of the report on the web and in newspapers, hundreds of
> thousands of people wanted the book version. The only mistake we made,
> in
> retrospect, was not thinking through the extremely high costs of air
> shipping the book across the country, we'd have to factor that in to our
> pricing.
> The Tianamen Papers was the narrative of the
> Chinese
> leadership's decision to use force against the students. The book was
> published, in hardcover, in January 2001. The relevance here is that the
> project was compiled and published in complete secrecy. The editors,
> Andrew
> Nathan of Harvard and Perry Link of Princeton, worked very closely with
> us
> to create a narrative from thousands of pages of documents brought out
> of
> china. AS you may recall, publication created a front-page sensation and
> after the predictable questions about veracity, the book has become an
> accepted and respected version of events.
> Finally, How Did This Happen? was published
> immediately after Sept. 11. It consists of essays commissioned by us and
> Foreign Affairs, it was a trade paperback priced at $14 and was widely
> read
> and discussed because we worked with the Council on Foreign Relations on
> panels across the country televised by C-Span.
> The 9-11 Commission report is obviously another
> model, but we would apply elements of all these books in our support. As
> i
> suggested the other day, PublicAffairs and the commission could draft a
> contract in which we would supply editorial services as the report is
> being
> written. This would enable us to prepare the book for instant
> publication
> when it is publicly released. Our inclination would be to do an
> accessibly
> priced paperback, the exact amount contingent on the length and other
> technical specs, we would have to determine going forward the basis on
> which
> the book could be sold to stores before being released. Because this
> will be
> a public domain document others could issue versions of the book, but if
> we
> are working with the commission and are ready to go when the report is

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 :: INBOX: Re: FW: PublicAffairs Page 3 of 3

> released, ours would certainly be the version featured by booksellers.

> Three other issues: distribution. PublicAffairs
> is a
> member of the Perseus Books Group, which includes Basic Books,, westview
> Press, Running Press and others, we have a fully staffed sales team. Our
> fulfillment and distribution are handled by HarperCollins by contract. I
> can
> assure you unreservedly that although we are not a large publishing
> company
> compared to, say Random House, we are confident and proud of our
> capacity to
> sell books, we also have a staff that specializes in academic adoptions.
>
> PublicAffairs as an independent company does not
> have any other confusing media affiliations. The commission probably
> would
> not want, for example, for its work to be perceived in any way as having
> a
> conflict of interest by association with a network or newspaper, we
> would
> not, in this instance, partner with any other organization aside from
> the
> commission, independence appears to be the key.
> Finally publicity: The release of the report
> wi 11 be
> a major event and you will obviously have all the help you will need in
> dealing with press issues. But PublicAffairs in general, and I, in
> particular, have been involved in subjects on this scale as a reporter
> and
> editor at The Washington Post and as a publisher for a very long time.
> I'd
> be eager to work with you and your colleagues on obtaining the clearest
> possible hearing for the commission findings..
> if these thoughts require further explanation,
> please let me know, in any case, we would be happy to meet with you and
> your
> colleagues whenever the time is right. Allbest Peter

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