Tucker Carlson Signs Eight-Figure, Two-Book Deal With Publisher

Political commentator Tucker Carlson has been on a remarkable streak since taking over the prime-time slot once held by Bill O'Reilly at Fox News. O'Reilly's sudden ouster in April 2017 left a gaping hole in the network's schedule — and Carlson filled it almost overnight. His program, Tucker Carlson Tonight, quickly became one of Fox's most-watched shows, routinely drawing millions of viewers and establishing him as one of the most influential conservative voices in the country.

Now, Carlson's momentum is paying off in another lucrative way. According to the Associated Press, Tucker has signed an "eight-figure" book deal with Threshold Editions, the conservative imprint owned by Simon & Schuster. The deal was brokered by his agents at Javelin, who confirmed that it covers two books for an amount somewhere north of $10 million — putting Carlson firmly in the publishing world's upper tier.

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That works out to at least $5 million per book, placing Carlson alongside a short list of political figures who've cashed in through Threshold, including Dick Cheney, Donald Trump, and Glenn Beck. While details about the content of Carlson's upcoming titles haven't yet been revealed, it's safe to assume they'll be non-fiction explorations of the political and cultural issues that have made him both a cable news powerhouse and a lightning rod for controversy.

In a statement released after the deal was announced, Carlson said: "I have long admired the Threshold list and am proud to be published alongside so many of my favorite authors."

Threshold Editions president Louise Burke called the partnership a natural fit, noting that Carlson's sharp-witted and combative approach to current events translates perfectly to print. For Simon & Schuster, the deal came at a time when conservative titles were dominating the nonfiction bestseller lists — and Carlson's fan base all but guaranteed huge pre-orders once the books hit shelves.

For Carlson, the timing couldn't have been better. At the time he inked the contract, his television career was soaring. Ratings for Tucker Carlson Tonight regularly topped three million viewers a night, outpacing CNN and MSNBC combined in his time slot. The show's success also elevated Carlson's profile far beyond the political sphere. Once known mainly as a bow-tied commentator on Crossfire and MSNBC's Tucker, he had reinvented himself as Fox's populist voice of the Trump era.

Carlson's publishing success would later bear fruit. His first Threshold title, Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class Is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution, was released in 2018 and debuted near the top of the New York Times bestseller list. His follow-up, The Long Slide: Thirty Years in American Journalism, arrived in 2021, blending memoir and media criticism.

Between his Fox News salary — which would soon climb into the eight figures — and his lucrative book deal, 2017 marked a turning point in Tucker Carlson's career. What began as a year of professional uncertainty ended with him securing not only television dominance but also one of the richest publishing contracts in political media.