MAIN NEWS HEADLINES
August 30 – September 6, 2006 Edition
Beaufort Books Plans
Huge Initial Printing
of Simpson’s If I Did It
NEW YORK, NY/8/28/07–Beaufort Books, which earlier this month finalized a publishing deal with the Goldman family for the O.J. Simpson tell-all book If I Did It, will release the first 125,000 copies of the controversial book on September 10. Eric Kampmann, President of the independent Beaufort Books has timed the book’s release with a September 13 appearance by Fred and Kim Goldman, along with Denise Brown, on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
In August 2007, a Florida bankruptcy court awarded the rights of If I Did It to the Goldman family, a great ironic turn in this tale of murder and injustice. What was previously perceived as Simpson’s narrative of the crime will now be seen as a confession by many who will read it.
In late 2006, Harper Collins withdrew and destroyed 400,000 copies of Simpson’s book If I Did It, the retelling of Ron Goldman’s and Nicole Brown Simpson’s murders, after the American public condemned its imminent publication. The public perceived If I Did It as a brazen attempt for Simpson to capitalize on an unspeakable crime for financial gain.
Publisher Kampmann said, "The team at Beaufort Books will be working closely with the Goldman family to bring this book to the attention of the American public. We will be working diligently to not only publish this book well, but to honor the memory of the victims of this terrible crime: Ron Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson."
The deal between the Goldman Family and Beaufort Books was brokered by Los Angeles-based literary agent Sharlene Martin of Martin Literary Management. "I am very proud to be part of my clients’ effort to expose this confessional to the rest of the world. Once I read it, I knew I wanted to help get this book out so any illusions of ‘fiction’ would be dismissed," commented Martin. "Our decision to go with Beaufort Books," added Martin, "was based upon Eric Kampmann’s stellar reputation in the publishing industry and his passion for justice for the Goldmans."
Beaufort Books was founded in 1980 and has been owned by Eric Kampmann since 1984. It has recently published such highly acclaimed titles as The Knock at the Door, by Margaret Ajemian Ahnert; The Presence Process, by Michael Brown; and Defining Moments, by Gordon Zacks.
The Goldmans, the Publisher, and Sharlene Martin will all contribute portions of sales proceeds to the Ron Goldman Foundation for Justice. The book’s cover will feature a label proclaiming the book "The Ron goldman Foundation for Justice Authorized Version."
