'Michael Jackson Writes His Story'-The !988 news story about "Moonwalk"

by **Admin** Tue Feb 12, 2013 10:57 pm

Michael Jackson Writes His Story
By EDWIN McDOWELL

Published: April 18, 1988

Michael Jackson's first book, ''Moonwalk'' - four years in the making - will go on sale across the United States this week. In it, the 29-year-old entertainer talks about his show business friends, his plastic surgery, his girlfriends and his rise to musical superstardom.

Doubleday has printed 300,000 copies of the book, which is dedicated to Fred Astaire. It will go on sale today in Chicago, and should be in bookstores elsewhere throughout the United States on Wednesday. How much Mr. Jackson has received in the way of an advance has not been disclosed.

While Doubleday officials say the large first printing is justified by advance orders, they nevertheless are not leaving the book's fortune to chance. Aware that Mr. Jackson's audience ''does not necessarily run to bookstores often,'' as one Doubleday official put it, the publisher has begun saturating the airwaves with spot promotions.

Broadcasting to Promote Print

The promotions - which involve trivia or song contests, for which winners receive copies of ''Moonwalk'' -will be carried on more than 70 radio stations in 27 cities. Those stations feature rock music and rhythm-and-blues.

Somewhat similar promotions will also run on the top 19 national video shows, including the Turner Broadcasting System, Nickelodeon and VH-1. Both the radio and video promotions were arranged by Epic Records, Mr. Jackson's recording label.

Doubleday also plans to back ''Moonwalk'' with extensive print advertising and cooperative advertising with bookstores. And it is supplying bookstores with ''dumps,'' book displays with a life-size cutout of the author. The floor dumps hold 16 books, those designed for counter displays hold six.

''Moonwalk'' was acquired by Jacqueline Onassis and Shaye Areheart, editors at Doubleday, who approached the entertainer about writing his book. Ms. Areheart spent weeks with Mr. Jackson at his home in Los Angeles and during his concert tour in Australia, where final touches on the manuscript were completed. Mrs. Onassis has written a three-paragraph introduction to the book that mentions Mr. Jackson's career and his dedication to his craft.

Keeping Things Quiet

Because of public interest in Mr. Jackson, who does not grant interviews, the book was published in secrecy; any revelations in the book have also been kept secret. Family members of Doubleday employees were hired as couriers, to deliver portions of the book from Doubleday offices in Manhattan to the printing plant in Fairfield, Pa., and manuscripts were kept under lock and key. At the printing plant the book had the code name ''Neil Armstrong,'' that of the first moon walker.

''Moonwalk'' is being published in the United Kingdom this week, and Doubleday has sold it to publishers in Japan, Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, France and Italy. It is a special selection of the Literary Guild.

The book, priced at $15.95, is printed on 60-pound paper, a higher weight and quality than that used in most books, and each page of text has a small drawing of Mr. Jackson's feet doing his famous Moonwalk dance.Bertelsmannd(Doubleday)

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