Simon & Schuster Moves Kushner Book Up Two Days

Simon & Schuster has brought forward the publication of Princes and Thieves by Matthew Cole by two days. The on-sale date, the day a book officially goes on sale in shops and online, is now October 25 instead of October 27.

The book's subtitle names Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed and describes a plot to remake the Middle East. Simon & Schuster lists it as a hardcover, the sturdy bound edition, priced at $30.00.

The change follows an excerpt. Vanity Fair ran a passage from the book on October 22, a published extract that covers Kushner's hacked phone and secret negotiations. An excerpt is a section printed ahead of the full book, often to give readers a sample and to draw attention to the title.

A Simon & Schuster spokesperson told Publishers Marketplace that the on-sale date was moved up because of increased interest in the book. The company has not put a figure on that interest.

Publishers sometimes move dates for reasons that have little to do with the calendar. A publisher can add printing or shipping capacity, respond to demand from shops that want stock sooner, or bring a book forward when news coverage is at its peak. Simon & Schuster's stated reason is the interest in the book, and nothing more has been released about the decision.

For readers, the practical point is simple. The book will reach shops and online sellers two days earlier than the publisher first planned. Anyone who had reserved a copy for October 27 should check with their seller, as the delivery schedule may have shifted too.

Simon & Schuster is one of the large English-language publishers, part of a group of houses that release most of the big titles in the trade. The company has now shown that a publication date can change in the final days before release, even when the book is already in print and the marketing is in place.