Joe Biden secures memoir deal: Former president to recount his time in White House; £10 million acquisition falls short of Obamas’ record haul

Former President Joe Biden has secured a deal with Little, Brown & Co. to pen a memoir about his White House tenure. Industry executives revealed that the untitled book, acquired through an auction by the Hachette imprint, garnered a £10 million advance, as initially reported by The Wall Street Journal.

President Biden hinted that his memoir will cover his four years as President, according to NY Post.


Diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer in May, the 82-year-old Biden has discussed the project at various public gatherings, expressing urgency to complete it amidst his health challenges. At a San Diego event, he stated that he was "working like hell with a publisher" to research and expedite a memoir focusing on his presidential period.

While former presidents traditionally publish accounts of their time in office, Biden's memoir offers an opportunity to address concerns about his physical and mental capabilities, alongside presenting his presidential narrative.

At an event earlier this month, Biden said that he was “working my tail off” to write a memoir. He was represented by Creative Artists Agency, which sold the worldwide rights for the book to Hachette. The agency also represented Biden for his 2017 memoir “Promise Me, Dad: A Year of Hope, Hardship and Purpose,” which chronicled his final year with his eldest son, Beau, who died from brain cancer in 2015.

Having achieved his long-held presidential ambition, Biden became the oldest incumbent upon his January 2020 inauguration. He later withdrew from the 2024 electoral race amid growing concerns about his capacity to serve.

Subsequently, discussions have centred on whether his close associates and party overlooked his apparent decline.

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Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson's "Original Sin", a significant non-fiction release this year, examines how Biden's protective inner circle disregarded his fragility, potentially compromising Democratic electoral prospects. The book achieved considerable success, with nearly 100,000 print copies sold according to Circana BookScan. Conservative publishers have responded with publications focusing on controversies surrounding his son Hunter.

Presidential memoirs typically command eight-figure advances, valued for prestige as much as sales potential. Biden's memoir, however, is considerably valued lower than his peers. Barack and Michelle Obama notably secured approximately £60 million from Penguin Random House in 2017.

Both Obama books achieved remarkable success: "A Promised Land" exceeded 2.8 million hardcover sales, while "Becoming" surpassed 5 million print copies, per Circana BookScan. Bill Clinton's 2004 "My Life" and George W. Bush's "Decision Points" also achieved significant commercial success with substantial advances.

However, the political non-fiction market has evolved, becoming increasingly divided. Recent publications analysing the 2024 election have struggled to attract broad readership.

Biden's 2017 publication "Promise Me, Dad", chronicling his son Beau's death from brain cancer, balanced political content with personal loss and achieved bestseller status. Other Biden family members, including his sister Valerie Biden Owens and son Hunter, have published memoirs. Jill Biden authored a 2019 memoir about their family life and several children's books.