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Simpson's book publishes about 100 of the 300,000 pieces of mail he says he has received in jail. The figure 300,000 is cited as the impetus for commencing the book last Nov. 1, as well as the amount of mail Simpson has received so far; it is but one indication of how closely not to read. Then, too, Chapter 1 is titled, ``I Always Answer My Mail,'' and in Chapter 5, Simpson reflects, ``Now that I look back and think about it, I was never a big letter writer.'' Judging from the sloppiness of the epistolary effort, this was no time to start, but for the money. As Simpson says early on, defending yourself against California costs a bomb. ``If I didn't have some money, I would have no chance at all.'' His ``dream team,'' 15 defense attorneys trying to open a hole for the running back, have been ringing up at least $60,000 a week in fees. Robert Shapiro said during a break last week that he wasn't happy with this book, but conceded, ``I understand the economic pressure.'' Simpson went into jail in June worth more than a few million. Robert Kardashian, Simpson's friend of 25 years and chief minder, said there was still money left in the purse. ``He's not broke,'' Kardashian told Time. Nevertheless, it was Kardashian who cooked up the book deal to stanch O.J.'s checking-account hemorrhage.
According to Lawrence Schiller, 52, who co-wrote Simpson's book, Kardashian called him last October and told him that because Schiller had known Simpson fleetingly a quarter-century ago, he might be called as a material witness to his first marriage, and so Schiller should meet Simpson again. A photographer, Emmy-winning TV producer and all-around hustler, Schiller has made a career of packaging tragedy as entertainment--he bagged Gary Gilmore for Norman Mailer's Pulitzer-prizewinning The Executioner's Song, among other fancy legwork.
Schiller first went to see Simpson on Halloween. ``I just hit it off with O.J.,'' he recalls. ``Sure, things went through my mind. I tried to ingratiate myself with him.'' According to Schiller, Kardashian called with the book idea that same night. In all, Schiller did 10 to 15 interviews with O.J. Some were taped, others not; an audiocassette of Simpson reading sections into Schiller's tape recorder went on sale along with the books.
The publisher, Little, Brown, a Time Warner company, sprang for an initial printing of 500,000 and reserved press time for reprinting within a week if the demand was there. Charles E. Hayward, president and CEO of Little, Brown, said he ``had no qualms whatsoever'' about publishing. Hayward said that ``if you just enter into endeavors looking to make money, that's probably where you lose the most. The power of the message and power of context in which the book has been published really was its greatest appeal.'' Still, buyers probably would be well advised not to look for the book in the Public Service section of their local Barnes & Noble.