This publishing wave is more than a literary trend — it’s the unofficial opening bell for the Democratic shadow primary. Potential candidates are using their books to shape their public image, communicate their vision in their own words, and connect with voters long before the first ballots are cast.

Six possible Democratic contenders for the 2028 election — former Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. Josh Shapiro (PA), outgoing Gov. Gavin Newsom (CA), Sens. Raphael Warnock (GA), Chris Murphy (CT), and Cory Booker (NJ) — all have new or soon-to-be-released books, accompanied by speaking tours. It’s a calculated strategy to boost their visibility and shape the narrative ahead of 2028.  

“Political memoirs have a twofold purpose: they give the author/candidate a bestseller status plus a reason to go on a clout-seeking, media-chasing book tour, and they also give everyone on the team clear messaging/a focus for the campaioign itself moving forward, a ‘single source of truth,’ so to speak,” Joshua Lisec, founder of Lisec Ghostwriting, who has ghostwritten more than 112 books, told the Washington Examiner.

He advises candidates to use their books to introduce themselves, share memorable stories, and end on an aspirational note, calling it the “book equivalent of a friendly talk show interview.”

Dan Gerstein, CEO of Gotham Ghostwriters, agrees.

“For a lot of politicians, their primary goal for putting a book out is not to make money,” Gerstein, who used to work on Capitol Hill as a former communications adviser for former Sen. Joe Lieberman, told the Washington Examiner. “It’s to be able to tell their story their way. The book gives them an opportunity to control the narrative, literally, but in a very wholesome, comprehensive way that other forms of communication don’t. It gives you more of a platform than other forms of communication.”

Book tours aren’t just about generating publicity. They are also used to catch up with big donors across the country and settle old scores, experts said.  

During her recent book tour stop in Richmond, Virginia, Harris, who lost the 2024 election to President Donald Trump under unusual circumstances, used her book, 107 Days, to criticize the current president for eroding the nation’s moral fiber and forging risky foreign alliances. In her book, Harris also took aim at Newsom, claiming he didn’t support her enough during her campaign, and at Shapiro, suggesting he was more focused on his own presidential ambitions than backing her as a potential running mate.

Shapiro hit back in his own memoir, Where We Keep the Light: Stories from a Life of Service, which was released on Jan. 27. The book makes clear there is no love lost between them, as he aired his problems with her vetting process. Harris eventually opted for Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) as her 2024 running mate.

“This is clearly Shapiro’s effort to weaken Harris before the presidential primary season begins,” Tim Blessing, a political science professor at Alvernia University in Reading, Pennsylvania, told the Washington Examiner. He added that Shapiro is trying to “dictate the terms on which the contest between the two of them will be held” and that Harris now has to respond to Shapiro, not the other way around.

Newsom’s book, Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery, set for release on Feb. 24, is pitched as his candid reintroduction to the country. He promises to dispel old stereotypes and forge a new connection with voters by offering an unfiltered look at his life and leadership.

Newsom, along with Murphy and Booker, will embark on national tours to share their visions, values, and plans for America’s future.

Warnock’s highly anticipated book, The Crooked Places Made Straight: Reflections on the Moral Meaning of America, arrives on June 16 and addresses issues such as voting rights, gun violence, and mass incarceration. Penguin Press describes it as “a sermon in the public square” that offers a vision for tackling pressing social challenges.

Warnock is no stranger to publishing. He received $150,708 in advances and royalties from Penguin Random House in 2024 alone, having published four books with them in the 2020s.

Six publishers contacted by the Washington Examiner declined to discuss advances, royalties, or earnings from book tours.

Lisec, though, believes Shapiro may have inked a deal between $500,000 and $1 million. He believes Newsom could have pulled in $1.5 million.

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In 2024, nearly two dozen federal lawmakers earned significant income from book publishing, according to congressional disclosures. For three members, book earnings came close and in two cases surpassed their annual salaries.

Warnock was one of them. The others were Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), who received a $172,500 advance, and former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who earned $178,229 in royalties from her 2023 book, MTG, published by Winning Team Publishing, which was co-founded by the president’s son, Donald Trump Jr.