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`American Idol` judge lands $2 million book deal
LA, July 16: Music producer Simon Cowell, the brutally blunt judge on Fox television`s `American Idol,` has signed a $2 million deal with Random House for a book about the hit TV talent show, his agent said on Tuesday.
LA, July 16: Music producer Simon Cowell, the brutally blunt judge on Fox television's "American Idol," has signed a $2 million deal with Random House for a book about the hit TV talent show, his agent said on Tuesday.
The publishing pact was struck about a week ago, just after Cowell reached a deal with Fox television to return for an upcoming third edition of "Idol" that debuts in January and two additional installments, reportedly for $150,000 per episode.
As part of that deal, Cowell also will develop new projects under his own newly formed production outfit, Simcow Ltd. Last week, CBS premiered yet another series created and produced by Cowell, the reality dating show "Cupid."
His new book, to be titled "I Don't Mean to be Rude, But...," is set to be published Dec. 2 in the United States and Canada by Broadway Books, an imprint of the Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group under the Random House division of Bertelsmann AG .
Co-authored by his older brother, British journalist Tony Cowell, the book will provide an insider's view of "American Idol" from the judge who helped make the show a hit with his acerbic, withering opinions of contestants vying on national TV to be instant pop stars.
The book also will chronicle the British-born Cowell's 25-year career as a manager and executive in the recording industry and offer practical tips for making it big in the music business, said his literary agent, Luke Janklow, who negotiated the publishing deal.
Janklow, who put the value of the deal at about $2 million, said the book was being written now "at quite a healthy pace."
"His book will be wicked and witty but it will also be very helpful to those millions of 'American Idol' viewers who hope to be stars and want to know how to accomplish their dreams," Doubleday Broadway editor-in-chief William Thomas said in a statement.
Bureau Report
As part of that deal, Cowell also will develop new projects under his own newly formed production outfit, Simcow Ltd. Last week, CBS premiered yet another series created and produced by Cowell, the reality dating show "Cupid."
His new book, to be titled "I Don't Mean to be Rude, But...," is set to be published Dec. 2 in the United States and Canada by Broadway Books, an imprint of the Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group under the Random House division of Bertelsmann AG .
Co-authored by his older brother, British journalist Tony Cowell, the book will provide an insider's view of "American Idol" from the judge who helped make the show a hit with his acerbic, withering opinions of contestants vying on national TV to be instant pop stars.
The book also will chronicle the British-born Cowell's 25-year career as a manager and executive in the recording industry and offer practical tips for making it big in the music business, said his literary agent, Luke Janklow, who negotiated the publishing deal.
Janklow, who put the value of the deal at about $2 million, said the book was being written now "at quite a healthy pace."
"His book will be wicked and witty but it will also be very helpful to those millions of 'American Idol' viewers who hope to be stars and want to know how to accomplish their dreams," Doubleday Broadway editor-in-chief William Thomas said in a statement.
Bureau Report