Prince Harry’s hotly-anticipated memoir may now be pushed back to 2023, according to publishing sources.
The renegade prince’s book was due to be released in time for the holidays — the hottest time of the year for book sales — and would have gone head-to-head with Michelle Obama’s latest book, “The Light We Carry: Overcoming in Uncertain Times,” out November 15.
Now, one source in the know said that “things are up in the air” for the pub date.
Industry chatter has been heating up as Harry’s book is still not available on Amazon or elsewhere for all-important pre-sales.
From a bookseller perspective, pre-order numbers are a good early indicator of a book’s success and can lead to retailers increasing their initial orders.
While another publishing source confirmed there had been talk of a November publication date, they added: “I have heard that Harry has some truth bombs in his book that he is debating on whether to include or not.
“So this [push back is] no surprise if he needs more time to work on the book.”
As Page Six first reported, Harry, 37, signed a reported $20 million deal with Random House to write his life story with the help of novelist J.R. Moehringer. More recently, Page Six reported that the royal family should have some worries about the book as Harry could spills the beans on his relationship with his father, Prince Charles — and the somewhat tense relationship with his stepmother, Camilla Parker Bowles, the future Queen Consort.
According to another industry insider, Harry’s publishing deal will call for a big promo tour to sell the memoir.
This will include making the rounds of the network morning shows — and a possible sit down with his friend, CBS’ Gayle King. It will also likely see him back in the UK after leaving the royal family for California in 2020.
“There is a commitment for a number of weeks and dates and what that entails. His team will be confirming obligations now for a pretty robust and comprehensive promo tour,” the industry insider told Page Six.
“It will also have to be international, and that means the UK — one of the book’s biggest audiences.”
Another book source said it’s too early yet to be talking about promotion without knowing the book publication date. A Sussex rep was unavailable for comment.
The news comes as Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, released the first episode of her “Archetypes” podcast on Spotify on Tuesday, on which she talks to tennis champ Serena Williams — and said that it only became clear that “ambition” was a dirty word for women when she married Harry.
