• Pennsylvania senator’s book sold zero copies at York Barnes & Noble
• First-week sales totaled fewer than 2,600 copies nationwide despite $1.2 million advance
• Ghostwriter Buzz Bissinger reportedly distanced himself from final product

YORK, Pa. (TDR) — Sen. John Fetterman’s memoir Unfettered has encountered disappointing sales figures since its Nov. 11 release, with the Barnes & Noble location in his hometown of York, Pennsylvania, reporting zero copies sold in the days following launch.

The memoir’s lackluster debut raises questions about publisher Crown Publishing’s return on investment, as sources told Defector Media the project secured approximately $1.2 million in advance payments split between Fetterman and ghostwriter Buzz Bissinger, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Friday Night Lights.

Defector Media journalist Alex Shultz conducted an informal survey of Pennsylvania bookstores the day after the memoir’s release, discovering the York location where Fetterman was born and raised had sold no copies, while the Philadelphia Barnes & Noble had sold just two. Multiple independent stores either declined to stock the book or reported tepid interest.

Sales figures fall short

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10

First-week sales totaled fewer than 2,600 copies nationwide, according to Shultz’s reporting. The memoir ranked 19th in the adult autobiographies category, trailing behind titles like Chris Matthews’ biography of Robert F. Kennedy. By comparison, other recent political memoirs have performed significantly better — Kamala Harris’ 107 Days sold 350,000 copies in its first week, while Ron DeSantis’ The Courage to Be Free moved 94,300 print copies.

“There is no audience for Unfettered, and I do not think Crown will get its money’s worth on this memoir.”

The memoir’s Amazon ranking tells a similar story. Days after release, Unfettered ranked 82,145 among all books on the platform, improving slightly to 15,713 by mid-November. While it topped the niche category of United States Local Government books, it barely edged out Pete Buttigieg’s 2019 memoir Shortest Way Home.

Shultz wrote in his comprehensive review of the book, describing it as boring and predictable, filled with content “the country already knows.”

Troubled production process

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE THE DUPREE REPORT

The memoir’s journey to publication faced significant obstacles, including reported tensions between Fetterman and Bissinger during the writing process. Sources with direct knowledge of the negotiations told Defector Media the two collaborators “butted heads” repeatedly, with Bissinger ultimately receiving between $400,000 and $500,000 of the total advance.

Bissinger, who has previously ghostwritten for Caitlyn Jenner and won acclaim for works including A Prayer for the City, is notably absent from Unfettered’s final product. He receives no credit or acknowledgment, not even a passing reference on the copyright page. When reached by The New York Times, Bissinger offered minimal comment, stating he provided a template while Fetterman delivered content. “The book is John’s,” he said, a statement Shultz characterized as hardly a glowing endorsement.

Content and reception

Published by Crown, an imprint of Penguin Random House, the 213-page memoir chronicles Fetterman’s rise from mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, to U.S. Senate. The book addresses his 2022 stroke, subsequent depression requiring hospitalization at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, and ongoing auditory processing challenges.

Reviews have been mixed. The Washington Post called it a “candid, brave and affecting account of dealing with profound mental health challenges,” while critics noted the memoir reveals little new information and lacks introspection about his controversial political positions.

Fetterman’s health remained in the spotlight when, two days after the book’s release, he experienced ventricular fibrillation, a life-threatening heart rhythm disorder. A spokesperson characterized the medical episode as a “flare-up,” though the senator’s office provided limited details about his recovery.

Context and comparisons

The memoir’s underwhelming performance stands in stark contrast to Crown’s apparent expectations. The book proposal was pitched to the Big Five publishers in late 2023, with meetings arranged between Fetterman, Bissinger, and their shared literary agent Eric Simonoff of WME. The project secured an advance payment that publishing industry experts told Defector Media was substantial for a first-term senator’s memoir.

Senate financial disclosure forms showed Fetterman received an initial $172,500 advance payment from Crown in 2024, representing the first installment of what sources estimated as a $700,000 to $800,000 total payment to the senator.

Industry analysts note political memoir sales vary dramatically. While Barack Obama’s A Promised Land sold 1.9 million copies in its first four weeks and Michelle Obama’s Becoming became one of history’s best-selling political memoirs with more than 8 million copies sold globally, many political figures’ books fail to earn back their advances.

Former New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn’s memoir reportedly sold just 100 copies in its first week, while Rielle Hunter’s What Really Happened moved 6,000 copies before her book tour was canceled.

Can a political memoir succeed when the author’s public image has dramatically shifted since the book deal was signed?

Freedom-Loving Beachwear by Red Beach Nation - Save 10% With Code RVM10