Miss America

Miss America is the second book by American radio personality Howard Stern. It was released on November 7, 1995 by ReganBooks and written in collaboration with Larry "Ratso" Sloman and edited by Judith Regan. In August 1995, Stern announced his deal with ReganBooks to write a follow-up to his first Private Parts (1993), which had become a nationwide commercial success. Stern wrote the book in the summer of 1995, and covers a variety of topics such as his experiences with obsessive-compulsive disorder, on-air rivalries with other radio personalities, and a private meeting with Michael Jackson in an attempt to revive the singer's career. As with its predecessor, Miss America was an instant commercial success. It set a new record with 33,000 copies sold on its opening day. By the end of 1995 over 1.39 million copies were sold, and the book became the fastest-selling title for ReganBooks. In October 1996, a paperback edition was released in three different covers with Stern sporting different coloured wigs, plus additional colour photographs. Background and writing In 1995, Stern made an advance deal worth around $3 million with ReganBooks, an imprint of HarperCollins, to publish a follow-up to his first book Private Parts (1993). Judith Regan was assigned as the book's editor, which she had also done for Private Parts. Stern wrote the book in two months over the summer of 1995, often working on it for seven or eight hours at home having done his radio show in the morning. He collaborated with Larry "Ratso" Sloman, who had also edited Private Parts. Stern aimed not to write a book "more outrageous" than Private Parts, but concentrated on stories and topics that he had either not told on the air or had avoided. The book was structured without a set beginning, middle, and end, rather to allow the reader to open it at any chapter. Regan said that Stern had performed beyond what was expected of him, writing 40,000 words for the book, equivalent to four-and-a-half books. "I said, 'Howard. Stop writing.'" When the book was finished, Stern felt a bigger sense of gratification with it compared to his radio show and when Regan praised him for what he had written, he described it as "the most fulfilling moment in my career so far". Stern named the book after a remark from his father. He explained: "When I was a kid growing up in high school, I would come down the steps. My parents were disgusted by me. I had started this growth spurt.