Publisher Puts Sarah Palin Bio for Evangelical Christian Tweens on Indefinite Hold

BILL BERKOWITZ FOR BUZZFLASH

 Zondervan, the Christian book publisher, is (was) planning a Sara Palin biography aimed at tweens called “Speaking Up: The Sarah Palin Story”.

You know the story: She ran for vice president, and lost; she was governor of Alaska, and quit halfway through her term; her book, “Going Rogue: An American Life,” was a best-seller; she’s a commentator on the Fox News Channel; she will soon be sharing Alaska in a series for The Learning Channel; she’s in great demand as a speaker, and gets handsomely paid for her appearances.

She tweets; she Facebooks; she endorses candidates; and now, Sarah Palin will have her life story told in a biography specifically earmarked for Christian evangelical tweens. Maybe!  

Originally scheduled for publication in October – just prior to the mid-term elections – the book’s publisher, Zondervan, a wholly owned subsidiary of HarperCollins (which published Palin’s “Going Rogue”), which in turn is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, made a surprise announcement a few days ago saying that publication of the Palin tweener bio had been put on indefinite hold. According to the Associated Press, "Cheryl Lundberg, Zondervan's director of customer service, said in an e-mail that after 'careful review and discussion,' it was deemed that October was not an 'optimal time' to publish the book. She said no decision had been made on when the book would be printed."

There was no indication as to who was involved in the “careful review and discussion.” Although it is pure speculation my part, given the tight control SP Inc. has over all of its many platforms and marketing outlets, it is possible that she got wind of the project and expressed reservations about it moving forward at this time.  

In an earlier report, the Christian book publisher, the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Zondervan announced that it would release "Speaking Up: The Sarah Palin Story," as one of its series of biographies aimed at 9-to-12-year old readers. (Other books in the series will feature U2 frontman Bono, and 2007 Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow.  “Breaking Through By Grace: The Bono Story” and “Man on a Mission: The Tim Tebow Story”; both scheduled for September releases.)

Kathleen Kerr, an acquisitions editor for Zondervan's Zonderkidz division, originally told AP that the subjects of the publisher’s biographies are “prominent figures who children hear about in the news and role models for tweens who are ‘working for the betterment of the world in which we live and who are motivated primarily by their Christian faith.’"

Although the biography is considered unauthorized -- author Kim Washburn said she was unable to interview Palin and didn't speak with anyone close to her --  Washburn “said she was struck by Palin's work ethic and her independent streak — something she believes will resonate with young girls,” AP reported.

Washburn who read Palin’s memoir “Going Rogue,” and read lots of articles about Palin, found that many of the news articles she read were "really polarized" and made it more difficult to focus more on the personal side of Palin than on the political side.

Washburn told the Associated Press that she was surprised by the decision.

Washburn’s profile at the Zondervan website points out that she “began her career in Christian publishing with [Dr. James Dobson’s] Focus on the Family…. [where] After working with the marketing and publicity team for the organization’s books, she became an associate editor for its monthly magazine Clubhouse Jr.”

She also was involved in “evaluat[ing] fiction and nonfiction for young readers, contributed original pieces, and helped create a polished, entertaining, and edifying publication for four- to eight-year-olds. Two of her stories for Clubhouse Jr. were recognized by the Evangelical Press Association, including first place in the fiction category in 2006.”

She is the author of the forthcoming “Breaking Through By Grace:  The Bono Story,” and has a nine-year-old daughter and seven-year-old twin sons.

According to the earlier AP report, Zondervan’s “Kerr said the book begins with Palin's childhood in Alaska and shows that ‘with guts, character, determination and unwavering faith in God, even an ordinary person can change the world.’ There are aspects of Palin's life that the book shies away from. For example, Kerr said, there's no mention of her teenage daughter Bristol Palin's pregnancy.”

Here's the book's description, now removed from the Zondervan site: "As a child growing up amidst the harsh beauty of Alaska, Sarah Palin sought to find her purpose in life. But this small-town girl never dreamed that God's plan would lead her to become a household name. Feeling called to make a change in the world, Sarah got involved in politics, eventually running for vice president of the United States. Even under constant political pressure, Sarah stood tall. Her steady faith in God kept her strong, along with the love and support of her family. Sarah's story inspires each of us to follow our dreams without compromising our beliefs."

If the book is eventually published, how big a seller might it become?

These days, however, just about anything with the Palin name attached is marketing magic and guaranteed to create a media stir. And, no doubt, result in a large number of sales. It wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine hundreds of thousands of “Mama Grizzlies” purchasing a copy of “Speaking Up” for their tween-age daughters.

“Personally I have no idea why anybody felt the need to write a separate book just for kids,” Gryphen maintained earlier this month at The Immoral Minority blog. “Her first book, ‘Going Rogue.’ was so full of imaginary stories, and fantastical tales of mythology, that I assumed it was written for a naive and emotionally immature crowd.  Oh I guess that kind of describes the Palin-bots as well doesn't it?”

Palin’s second book, “America By Heart: Reflections on Family, Faith and Flag,” will be published on November 23.