Here’s How Much Jill Duggar Could Make in Her Upcoming Memoir

In biblical terms, "counting the cost" refers to acknowledging the requirements and outcomes of following Jesus to avoid wavering in your faith. It's also the aptly chosen title of the upcoming memoir authored by Jill Duggar, known for her role in the popular TLC show, 19 Kids And Counting.

While the Duggar family appeared to show the ins and outs of their lives on their television show, Jill and her husband Derick Dillard plan to shed light on her family's religious lifestyle and explore the controversial dynamics between family members that didn't come to light in the controlled environment of reality TV.

"The challenges we have faced... are not that much different than what many people in our audience have faced," said Duggar in an Instagram post about the book. "However, 15+ years of reality television, undergirded by secrecy and lies, is tantamount to pouring gasoline on the fire of our struggle."

Here's what we know about the book so far, including how much Jill stands to make from the book:

What is Jill Duggar's memoir Counting the Cost about?

The tell-all memoir will delve into Jill's childhood within the Duggar family, where she performed as "the responsible, second daughter" to a massive television audience. According to the synopsis, the book will also explore the strict, patriarchal guidelines Jill and her family adhered to under the Institute of Basic Life Principles, which is a nondenominational Christian organization founded in the 1960s by minister Bill Gothard.

As Jill and Derick grew older and built a life together, having children of their own, the "red flags" the Duggar family exhibited were "too obvious to ignore." Counting the Cost is their reckoning with the the truth of Jill's family, detailing the "secrets, manipulation, and intimidation" they faced while trying to present the image of a perfect family to their fans.

When will Jill Duggar's book come out?

The release date for Counting the Cost has been rescheduled from January 2024 to September 13 of this year. This may have to do with the buzz surrounding the recently launched Amazon Prime series, Shiny Happy People, which delves into the lives of the Duggar family and their affiliation with the IBLP (Jill was also prominently featured on the show.) The book will be published by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster.

Jill isn't the first Duggar child to come out with their own book.

Her sister, Jinger Vuolo (née Duggar) released her own book called Becoming Free Indeed: My Story of Disentangling Faith From Fear in January of this year. The book, which currently sits as a #1 Best Seller on Amazon, details the ins and outs of Vuolo's life when she followed Bill Gothard's teachings and how she began to separate those teachings from her belief in Jesus Christ.

So how much is Jill Duggar's book deal worth?

Publishers offer book advances based on a variety of factors including the book's quality and sale potential, whether other editors are interested in acquiring the book, and the author's previous book sales and existing platform. Though it's not common practice for authors to share the specific numbers behind their book deals, some celebrity book announcements come with a generalized price tag. One recent example is actor Jennette McCurdy, whose memoir reportedly earned a deal with Simon & Schuster worth "several million dollars."

Celebrities who are deemed controversial or have famously interesting personal histories will get large advances. Hillary Clinton received $14 million for her book titled Hard Choices, while Lena Dunham received $3.5 million in a bidding war for her 2011 book, Not That Kind of Girl. Britney Spears, who became free from her 13-year conservatorship in 2021, was reportedly offered $15 million for the rights to her book before she wrote a word of it. Given the media's revived interest in their family, it wouldn't be surprising if the advance Jill and Derick received was in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions.

The couple will also get a pay cut from their book sales, so let's do some math. The hardcover for Counting the Cost is around $30, so if the book were to sell 50,000 copies — which is on the lower end, considering publishers will order upwards of 250,000 copies if they believe the book will sell well — that's already $1,500,000 in projected book sales.

Typically authors take home 5-20% of sales after 'earning out' their advance. So if their advance was $50,000 (which, again, is on the lower end according to Publishers Marketplace's deals key), at minimum Jill and Derick would make $72,500-$290,000 in this hypothetical — and that's not including what they could earn from e-book or audiobook sales.