Gpvernor Andrew Cuomo’s book, due out on October 13, is titled “American Crisis,” and it is expected to chronicle New York’s battle with the coronavirus. 

One industry analyst says Cuomo’s daily nationally televised press briefings during the height of the crisis essentially did some of the early marketing for this book already.

What You Need To Know

  • Cuomo’s book could be a bestseller, according to an expert

  • Cuomo still taking heat for writing a book long before the crisis is over

  • Cuomo has defended the book, but still refuses to disclose the financial terms, how much he was paid in advance

“I think more people know him today because of COVID-19 and his handling of it," said Scott Lorenz, a book marketing expert. "I know for myself in Michigan, I watched his news conferences every day for a month. It was must-see TV.”

Lorenz is an expert on book sales. He says something like this could be a bestseller.

“The average congressman writes a book, no one cares. A U.S. senator writes a book and they are running for president, they’ve got a shot at it being successful. Something like this that people are interested in and they are in tune with it, it has a shot. It definitely has potential, more so than 90 percent of other books that are out there.”

But Cuomo has also been criticized for writing a book before the crisis is over. While New York’s infection rate has vastly improved from the height of the outbreak this spring, the virus has certainly not been eradicated.

“We should not be doing this right now, taking an victory lap, when we have more deaths in this state than any other state in the nation, more deaths than most countries in the world," said Democratic State Sen. Gustavo Rivera of the Bronx. "It is obscene. It is immoral. And the governor shouldn’t do it.”

Cuomo defended his book during a conference call with reporters Wednesday.

“My book is not about the history of COVID. Because it’s not over. It is what we have learned, what we should learn, what we must do, how we handle this, and what we need to do in the second half of the game," he said.

Responding to Rivera, a spokesperson for the governor says he is trying to score “cheap political points.”

Cuomo has refused to provide any details about the financial terms of the deal, including how much he received in advance. Unless he discloses how much that was, it’s unlikely we will know the exact dollar amount until he releases his tax returns next April.