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- Gov. Andrew Cuomo's second memoir has undersold. Last year he inked a book deal worth $5.1 million.
- Crown ceased promoting Cuomo's book in March amid several sexual harassment allegations.
- Cuomo resigned on Tuesday after a damning report from the New York attorney general's office.
- See more stories on Insider's business page.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's once highly anticipated book detailing his management of the COVID-19 crisis sold only 71 copies during the last week of July, a data provider for the publishing industry, BookScan told The New York Times.
Fewer than 50,000 copies of Cuomo's book, "American Crisis: Leadership Lessons From the Covid-19 Pandemic," have been sold since it was published in October 2020, The Times reported, citing BookScan.
An imprint of Penguin Random House, Crown, beat out several other competitors for the book, offering Cuomo $5.1 million for the book deal, according to The Times.
His previous memoir "All Things Possible: Setbacks and Success in Politics and Life" also undersold. Harper, an imprint of Harper Collins, ordered 200,000 copies, but only sold 3,200 between October 2014 and April 2017 – meaning he made about $245 per book sale, according to the Los Angeles Times.
However, at the time of his second book deal, Cuomo's popularity was surging over his response to the pandemic, which included daily updates (with slides), that was in stark contrast to that of the Trump administration's handling of the spread of the novel coronavirus in early 2020.
"With his no-nonsense daily briefings - viewed by millions of people around the world - a commitment to truth-telling, and a science-based plan for flattening the curve, Andrew Cuomo filled that void," Penguin Random House said in an August 2020 news release.
Crown, however, ceased promoting Cuomo's book in March in the midst of several sexual harassment allegations and accusations that he had covered up COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes, The Guardian reported. Crown did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment about the deal; Crown told The Times, "we never comment on contractual matters or financial arrangements with any of our authors."
Cuomo announced his resignation on Tuesday, following a 165-page report from New York Attorney General Letitia James that found he sexually harassed 11 women. Cuomo has denied any wrongdoing.
"In my mind, I have never crossed the line with anyone," Cuomo said in a speech on Tuesday. "But I didn't realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn."
"I never did and I never would intentionally disrespect a woman," he added later, addressing his daughters.
It is unclear whether or not Cuomo will be required to pay back the remainder of his advance since resigning.
Cuomo's office could not immediately be reached for comment.