Pre-orders for the O.J. Simpson book If I Did It on the Barnes & Noble Web site are higher than the chain expected, but its decision not to carry the book in its stores still stands.
“We still have no plans to stock it in our stores,” spokeswoman Mary Ellen Keating told The Associated Press.
Last week, Barnes & Noble said it did not expect the book to sell well and would only offer it through their Web site, Barnes & Noble.com, or by special order at a Barnes & Noble store. Since then, the book has jumped into the top 50 on the Web site and ranked No. 48 as of Sunday night.
Interest in the book has been fueled by last week’s announcement that Oprah Winfrey would feature Denise Brown, Nicole Brown Simpson’s sister; and Goldman’s parents, Fred and Kim Goldman on a show scheduled to air Sept. 13.
After public outrage led HarperCollins to cancel the release, a federal bankruptcy judge eventually awarded the book rights to Goldman’s family to help satisfy a $38 million wrongful death judgment against Simpson.
Prescription: In holding back on a highly visible marketing push and standing firmly that the book would not be offered in stores, Barnes & Noble seems to come off as neutral, socially responsible and a possible avenue for monetary justice for the Brown and Goldman families. No one is mad at Barnes and Noble right now because frankly, sometimes drama can sell itself.
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