Hard Choices
| Company type | Memoir |
|---|---|
| Industry | Publishing |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founder | Hillary Clinton |
| Products | Book |
| Parent | Simon & Schuster |
Hard Choices is a memoir authored by former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, released by Simon & Schuster in 2014. It chronicles her service from 2009 through 2013, incorporating personal insights, including her reflections on President Barack Obama after her defeat in the 2008 presidential race. The narrative generally endorses the policies and decisions of the Obama administration.
The book’s promotion coincided with speculation about a potential 2016 presidential campaign (in which Clinton secured the Democratic nomination but was ultimately defeated by Donald Trump). Prior to its release, excerpts were published and an extensive promotional tour—reminiscent of a political campaign—was undertaken, drawing both enthusiastic supporters and critics. Hard Choices achieved the #1 spot on the New York Times Best Seller list, though its sales figures were considerably lower than those of her 2003 memoir, Living History. These sales numbers fueled debate regarding her future political ambitions.
Conception and development
After departing office on February 1, 2013, Clinton announced plans to author a follow-up memoir to Living History. On April 4, 2013, Simon & Schuster revealed her book agreement with an anticipated publication date set for June 2014. The deal, brokered by attorney Robert Barnett, involved undisclosed financial terms; industry observers speculated an advance possibly reaching $14 million. The project was widely interpreted as connected to a prospective 2016 presidential bid.
Clinton assembled a "book team" comprising two former State Department staff—speechwriter Dan Schwerin and researcher Ethan Gelber—alongside Ted Widmer, a previous speechwriter during the Clinton administration. The first draft of the manuscript was approximately three times longer than the final edition. Clinton described writing the book as "terrific," noting that each day brought varied experiences.
In April 2014, the release date was officially set for June 10, with the title Hard Choices announced shortly thereafter.
Themes of the book
Spanning 635 pages, the book features three sections of plates containing 100 color photographs.
Clinton presents foreign policy during her tenure as a series of difficult decisions, concentrating on regions such as the Middle East and the Arab Spring, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and Russia. Particular emphasis is placed on the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and her relationship with Egyptian President and longtime associate Hosni Mubarak.
She addresses internal disagreements within the Obama administration, including losing the debate over providing arms to moderate factions of the Syrian opposition. Nevertheless, many internal deliberations remain confidential out of respect for the trust between a president and Secretary of State.
A chapter devoted to the 2012 Benghazi attack, portions of which were leaked to Politico, reiterates Clinton’s account regarding the assault that resulted in the deaths of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three others.
The memoir also touches on personal elements, such as reconciling tensions following her 2008 presidential campaign against Obama, family milestones like daughter Chelsea Clinton's wedding, and encounters with citizens during international travels. It candidly discusses her 2008 loss and marks the first time she fully renounces her 2002 vote on the Iraq War Resolution, stating, "I thought I had acted in good faith... But I still got it wrong. Plain and simple."
Ending with her outlook for America's future, the book refrains from explicitly declaring a 2016 presidential candidacy, instead remarking that "[t]he time for another hard choice will come soon."
Promotional efforts
Advance excerpts from the book began circulating in May 2014, starting with a Mother's Day feature in Vogue that honored Clinton’s late mother, Dorothy Rodham. Simon & Schuster released an Author’s Note presenting Clinton’s viewpoints, complemented by a video on the book’s Facebook page and a cover story in People.
To preempt dominating media narratives, a chapter addressing the Benghazi attack was leaked to Politico, followed by a segment concerning soldier Bowe Bergdahl. The promotional campaign was orchestrated by experienced political strategists instead of conventional public relations teams.
Leading news anchors vied for exclusive interviews; Clinton’s initial televised discussion was with ABC News’ Diane Sawyer on June 9. These interviews offered revelations about Clinton’s financial situation after leaving the White House and her shifting stance on same-sex marriage. Additionally, an unannounced guest spot on The Colbert Report highlighted her humorous side.
The book tour across the U.S. and Canada commenced on June 10 with a signing event at Barnes & Noble in New York, attracting over a thousand attendees. Other notable appearances included a Chicago forum featuring Mayor Rahm Emanuel, formerly an aide to Clinton. During signings, Clinton inscribed only her first name, "Hillary," without personal dedications, under the supervision of aide Huma Abedin.
These events closely resembled campaign rallies and drew substantial local media attention. Nearby, the independent SuperPAC Ready for Hillary operated a "Hillary Bus" distributing promotional materials and recruiting supporters, although Clinton herself never boarded. In contrast, the Republican National Committee deployed an orange squirrel mascot handing out anti-Clinton literature. Clinton playfully interacted with the mascot during a Washington D.C. stop, presenting it with a signed copy of her book.
In July, Clinton extended her promotional efforts to Europe, visiting England, Germany, and France while continuing U.S. signings throughout the month. The extensive itinerary mirrored her previous travel patterns as Secretary of State and helped counter speculation about her health following her 2012 concussion and blood clot treatment. Despite widespread media coverage highlighting both strengths and vulnerabilities during the tour, it did not significantly influence her approval ratings in polls.
Critical and commercial reception
Early critiques of Hard Choices ranged from mixed to positive.
Michiko Kakutani of The New York Times characterized the memoir as a "subtle, finely calibrated work" that depicted Clinton as a serious policy expert. David Ignatius of The Washington Post described it as a "clear and at times riveting account" of her tenure as secretary of state. Robin Abcarian from the Los Angeles Times commended its thorough documentation of Clinton’s role in shaping foreign policy during the Obama administration. On the other hand, John Dickerson of Slate critiqued it as "risk-free" and lacking the depth found in Robert Gates’ memoir. Michael Scherer of Time viewed it as a campaign-oriented publication designed to project leadership without alienating voters. Ed Pilkington from The Guardian observed that the book subtly prepared Clinton for a potential 2016 presidential run, while Peter Baker in the New York Times Book Review suggested she sought greater recognition than previous State Department memoirs had achieved.
At launch, reports indicated one million pre-orders; however, Simon & Schuster confirmed first-week sales exceeding 100,000 copies based on Nielsen BookScan figures. The memoir debuted at number one on the New York Times Best Seller list for hardcover nonfiction but saw sales decline in subsequent weeks, eventually being overtaken by Edward Klein’s Blood Feud: The Clintons vs. the Obamas. By late July, total sales—including e-books—reached around 250,000 copies. The book remained on the Best Seller list for twelve weeks, spending nine within the top five positions.
The sales results sparked discussions regarding Clinton’s commercial appeal. While outperforming memoirs by other Obama administration figures, sales were lower compared to her 2003 memoir Living History. The publisher attributed this to differences in subject matter and a contracting physical nonfiction market. Simon & Schuster anticipated not recovering Clinton’s advance fully nor selling all distributed copies. Politico described sales as respectable but below initial projections.
Post-publication sales continued steadily: by March 2015 Nielsen BookScan reported 264,000 copies sold; by July 2015 this increased to 280,000; and by March 2016 reached approximately 292,200 copies. By mid-2015 Clinton had earned more than $5 million in royalties. Compared against books by 2016 Republican candidates, her sales were lower than Ben Carson’s bestseller but surpassed most others except Donald Trump’s combined works. By November 2015 total units sold—including print and digital formats—exceeded 340,000.
Foreign editions and translations
Simon & Schuster emphasized international distribution and foreign language editions as key to the book’s success. Upon its June 10 release date, editions were available in Canada, Great Britain, Australia, India, Germany, the Netherlands, and France. A Spanish version titled Decisiones difíciles was released on June 24 in the U.S., with foreign rights sold in sixteen countries overall.
Although available in Hong Kong and Taiwan markets, Hard Choices was effectively barred from mainland China because publishers declined to acquire translation or English rights there. Simon & Schuster attributed this reluctance to political sensitivities surrounding content such as the chapter on Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng and Clinton’s critical comments about Chinese government policies.
Paperback version
The paperback edition of Hard Choices was issued on April 28, 2015, shortly after Clinton declared her candidacy for president in 2016. It included a newly written epilogue titled "A New Chapter," initially published by The Huffington Post on April 10. This edition also featured updated cover art displaying Clinton turned slightly away from the camera with a subtle smile; she wore a blue collared shirt paired with silver earrings.