Well that’s certainly one way to juice book sales.

Gavin Newsom is sweetening the deal for donors ahead of his expected 2028 presidential run – offering supporters a copy of his memoir in exchange for donations of ‘’any amount.”

”It’s a good book. Very personal. Not your normal political book at all,” Newsom wrote in a Jan. 31 email to potential donors ahead of the memoir’s release on February 24.

The California governor is on the publicity trail for ”Young Man in a Hurry”, which he claims lifts the lid on his strife-filled childhood as the son of a politically connected San Francisco attorney with close ties to the billionaire Getty family.

His comments in the media about his supposedly rags-to-riches life story has already been widely mocked.

The memoir details his colorful love life, struggles with dyslexia, and even the origins of the ”Newscum” nickname popularized by Donald Trump.

The California Post can now reveal that anyone who makes a donation to Newsom’s Campaign for Democracy Committee will receive a ‘’free copy’’.

”The average cost per book is $22.45 including shipping. If you can give that, great. If you can only give $5, great,” Newsom writes.

‘‘[We] just spent a bunch of money on passing Prop 50, so now I need to refill the coffers at my Campaign for Democracy for the fights ahead … and heaven knows there are many fights ahead,’’ he continues in the sales pitch.

The memoir is billed as ”an intimate and poignant account of identity, belonging, and the defining moments that inspired a life in politics”, but stops in 2019 – when Newsom became governor.

David Johnson, a PR professional who specializes in book launches, said hawking copies of the memoir as a political souvenir was fraught with risk.

”This move is a disaster for him long term – as a book publicist, it reframes the book as a political trinket,” Johnson said.

”It signals the book can’t stand on its own … it’s nothing but a campaign vehicle.”

Newsom’s Campaign for Democracy Committee funnels donations to a similarly named political action committee, according to a campaign disclosure link connected to his Jan. 31 email.

The PAC, formed in 2023, has spent millions on political advertising, polling, and other activities aimed at boosting the California governor’s profile ahead of his expected White House run.

While the fundraising promotion may help sales, Johnson warned it risks destroying credibility with independent booksellers – a key channel for reaching undecided and politically moderate readers.

”I’m not saying he won’t sell books off it, but how many are actually read is the bigger question,” Johnson added. ”It hurts credibility with people who are in the middle politically”.

The California governor is following a well-worn playbook for presidential hopefuls.

Former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden both published memoirs before running for the White House.

Pennsylvania Sen. Josh Shapiro, also rumored to be eyeing a 2028 run, released a memoir last month titled How We Keep the Light.

Newsom’s book delves into his upbringing in San Francisco as the child of divorced parents Tessa Menzies and Bill Newsom – a powerful attorney and judge who acted as a fixer for oil billionaire Gordon Getty.

He writes that his mother struggled financially and that he was bullied mercilessly over dyslexia, prompting him to adopt ‘Remington Steele’-inspired suits while attending Redwood High School in wealthy Marin County.

In his 20s, Newsom became a disciple of self-help guru Tony Robbins to learn how to project ‘confidence and authority’, according to Politico.

Newsom isn’t the first politician to turn a book into a fundraising gimmick.

In 2015, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz was criticized for using campaign funds to bulk-order copies of his book, A Time for Truth.

Cruz’s presidential campaign reportedly spent $122,000 on bulk purchases — prompting the New York Times to exclude the title from its bestseller list.

Newsom could face a similar fate, Johnson warned.

”Some of the bestseller lists won’t include him, or others will include him with an asterisk”.