Former Vice President Joe Biden, like most former office holders, has been busily compiling his memoirs. The Daily Caller reports that the title of Biden's tome will be "Promise Me, Dad," a quote from the Vice President's son Beau, who died of cancer, but wanted his dad to run for president. The book will describe the vice president's son's death, the decision not to run for president, and not doubt Biden's involvement in the so-called "Cancer Moonshot." Biden has also found an interesting way to make a little extra money on the side on the book tour.
The price for the former vice president's signature is pretty steep
The first stop on the former vice president's book tour will be held by the Politics and Prose bookstore in Washington D.C. at the Warner Theater. According to the email sent out by the bookstore, tickets to the event will include a copy of the book. "VIP tickets" will include a signed copy of the book and an opportunity to meet and greet the vice president. The price of a regular ticket is $58. The cost of a VIP ticket is $448, not including service fee. The cost for the two tiers of tickets is comparable at different stops of the tour, which are taking place in auditorium venues.
How book tours usually work
Usually, book tours take place at physical, brick and mortar book stores.
If one wants to have a signed copy of a book and meet and greet its author, one arrives as early as possible and gets into line. The more famous the author and more popular the book, the longer the line.
When the signing starts, the line starts to move. If the author is a famous politician, one has to pass through a security checkpoint to get to the signing table.
At one such event which this author attended, then potential candidate Sarah Palin was being watched over by very burly, unsmiling men, former Special Forces operatives, he was told, who constantly scanned the crowd. At the signing table, one gets a few seconds to exchange words with the author, who signs the book and then moves on.
The cost for attending this event is measured in time and not money, except for the expense of the book.
Why is Biden charging for his signature?
It is not clear why the former vice president is charging such a hefty amount for his signature. A book signed by a former vice president would not seem to have much intrinsic value. That fact would change if Biden ran for president one last time in 2020 and won.
One reason might be that the cost of renting a hall has to be taken care of. Another reason may be that Biden is raising money for a cancer foundation. Biden may never be president, but he has vowed to do his best to end cancer, to be sure a righteous cause. That being the case, the reason should be given more publicity the better to boost attendance.
