“Success Isn’t About How Much Money You Make…” Or Is It?

Remember that record-breaking $65 million book deal that the Obamas signed in 2017? Has any other couple been able to sell so many books in such a short time?  Michelle Obama announced just today, the upcoming release of her Becoming Journal: A Guided Journal For Discovering Your Voice.  It’s her new companion piece to her 2018 bestselling memoir Becoming.

I guess they haven’t quite made enough money yet.

Michelle Obama to release a journal companion to her memoir Becoming with a new intro and '150 inspiring quotes and questions' https://t.co/p8lmVTlSEV

— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) October 7, 2019

“Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.” -Michelle Obama

And Michelle is gutsy too (wink, wink). She will always choose to go high, especially when Hillary is involved. Obama waited to announce her big news until after the release of Hillary and Chelsea Clinton’s new book Gutsy Girls. (Cough, cough, another kickback?  Or maybe it was an order from “Madame President” herself?) Anyhow, this book revenue will provide payout IN ADDITION to the reported $65 million Penguin Random House already paid them for their post-White House memoirs. YES, REALLY.

Obama’s Becoming Journal has a new introduction from Obama and 150 questions and quotes that are relevant to the themes of her memoir and blank pages for journaling.  Obama hopes that her journal helps her readers find their voice. Retailing at $20, that’s about 13 cents per inspiring quote or question. That seems like some affordable self-help.

Michelle Obama’s first memoir, BECOMING, was released in 2018, promoted and adored by all of the media, and sold more than 10 million copies, WORLDWIDE. Have y’all heard about it?

The synopsis for BECOMING is chock-full of how Michelle is one of the most compelling icons of our era. Proclaiming how she helped create the most welcoming and inclusive White House in history. Never mind that under her watch, the WH stopped giving tours. But I suppose hundreds of celebrities such as Jay Z and Beyoncé experienced a record number of visits to the Obama White House.

The book synopsis goes on to say “how she stood with Barack as he led America through some of its most harrowing moments. And along the way, she raised two daughters UNDER AN UNFORGIVING MEDIA GLARE.” HOLD, PLEASE. I need to try to get my eyeballs unstuck from the back of my head. Never mind how she graced the cover of nearly every major magazine published and was invited to star on every talk show possible, morning, noon, and night.

In 2017, the Obamas were reportedly paid $65 million big ones upfront by Penguin for the rights to their post-White House memoirs. It was in the spring of that year that Barack took numerous tropical beach vacations — including his vacation with Richard Branson in the British Virgin Islands.  During this trip, Obama had reportedly planned to write his memoir, while Michelle stayed in Washington, D.C., to pen her book, BECOMING. AND YET BARACK’S MEMOIR HAS STILL NOT HAPPENED, over two years later.

“How hard you work matters more than how much you make.” -Michelle Obama

Barack Obama’s memoir is on hold and highly anticipated to drop during the 2020 campaign. How convenient. Never mind campaign finance laws, the former president began writing his memoir himself, handwriting a first draft ON LEGAL PADS — the irony. (Maybe he’s now requesting that some of his memoir be kept classified and confidential? Nah.) His upcoming memoir release date of 2020 will surely bring him and his legacy back into the spotlight. But Democrat hopefuls didn’t seem too hot on his legacy during recent debates.  Will they want to talk about Barack’s memoir in 2020?

It all makes me wonder — might it be that their book sales are experiencing an under-performance “reckoning?”  I guess the jury is still out.

“As women, we must stand up for ourselves. We must stand up for each other. We must stand up for justice for all.” -Michelle Obama

Michelle hopes that readers will use her journal “to write down their experiences, thoughts, and feelings, in all their imperfections, and without judgment.” (IN SAFE SPACES.)

In her introduction, she continues: “We don’t have to remember everything…” (Like the crappy Obama economy? Or Benghazi? Or If you like your doctor, you can(not) keep your doctor?) “…But everything we remember has value…” (Like how to be patriotic and stand for the National Anthem and love our country and desire to MAGA WITHOUT JUDGEMENT?) “…And there’s grace in being willing to know and hear others. This, for me, is how we become.”  (Ah, okay. So JUST SAY NO TO “RESIST” — maybe?)

Thanks, Michelle Obama. I think I’ll spend my money on a KAG journal instead.

/end.