HarperCollins plays it smartly by the book

ET Bureau HarperCollins India will publish Sonia Gandhi's memoir, tracing her journey from Italy to the leadership of the Congress party. Publishing, like politics, thrives on making bets. Penguin Random House India made the wrong bet by overthinking the consequences of publishing a book written by someone no longer in the establishment - or, more importantly, someone it thought the establishment doesn't much care for. After the publishing house with a flightless bird logo dumped Sonia Gandhi's forthcoming memoir, 'Belonging: A Journey of Love' - for reasons we all kind of know - HarperCollins India picked up what every non-illiterate Sonia supporter and critic alike would want to pick up in November. Here, we have to commend HarperCollins for rushing in where the Antarctic bird was too petrified to tread. Probable result: Harper laughing its way to the bank. Read more: HarperCollins takes over India publication of Sonia Gandhi's memoir after Penguin exit Frankly, the book promises everything: romance in Cambridge, saris in Delhi, an assassination in the garden, and the perennial question of how an Italian girl became the longest-serving president of the Indian National Congress. It should be part-soap opera, part-statecraft, and wholly irresistible. Sonia G may no longer be in the thick of things. But her story is, what in non-publishing circles is called, irresistible. This is one publisher understanding that the only constituency that matters is the cash register. Penguin RH may have been loyal to the crown. But Harper has been admirably loyal to the bottom line. Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now! Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. An old India Inc habit: Ignore the nudge, wait for the stick Q1 investment numbers look stellar, but are we celebrating too early? Season of change in accounting policy: A simple AI prompt can tell you a lot Is crude oil becoming a financial problem? Patent Cliff approaching: Can Indian pharma companies repeat past success? ET Prime special: Bigger, Better or Both? Understanding business to figure out the mystery: Power Grid Corp – Part 1 ET Prime special series: 2013 to 2026. Not years, but evidence: Power Grid, Part 2 When a CFO resigns, is 'personal reasons' explanation enough? What LIC should do to remain money-spinner for govt, policyholders From survival to 193 mn subscribers: Is Vi finally making a comeback?