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P R E P A R A T I O N A N D P U B L IC A T IO N O F C O M M IS S IO N R E P O R T

Staf f Memorandum for Discussion

1. Structure of the Report

The report itself will include:

An Executive Summary spotlighting key conclusions and policy

recommendations. This will be of a length that can be read and digested in the

news cycles that would begin with the press conference releasing the report.

A book-length Report, publicly released and available as a book in every major

bookstore in America, as well as being downloadable over the Internet. The

Report would be published and distributed by a commercial publisher contracted

for this purpose by the Commission, while also being released through GPO for

depositories of government documents.

Nine volumes of supporting monographs, written for more specialized audiences.

Most, perhaps all, of these monographs will contain classified information. They

would also be attractively printed and published, through CIA's printing services,

for readers who have the necessary security clearances.

2. Drafting Process

Staff drafting of most monographs has already begun. But the report will have a different

structure from the monographs, since it will synthesize that material in a single narrative,

present it at a different level of classification, and be written for a broad audience.Toward the end of 2003 the front office will begin drafting the report, drawing on the

evolving draft monographs already being prepared by the various teams. Rolling drafts

of the report and the monographs will keep being prepared and constantly revised into the

spring of 2004.

In April 2004 the front office will share an advanced draft of the report with staffers

across all the concerned teams. In an intensive set of drafting sessions the staff will come

to collective judgments about the material they recommend for inclusion in the draft that

will be submitted to the commissioners.

As the report is being finalized by commissioners and prepared for publication, the frontoffice will also be reviewing and finalizing the nine volumes of staff monographs so that

these all meet common standards of quality and clarity. The monographs are likely to be

published in classified form during June or July 2004.

hi April andMay, the Chair and Vice Chair will schedule an intensive set of Commission

meetings to consider the major conclusions and policy recommendations, as well as the

text of the Executive Summary and the Report.

1



3. Declassification Issues

The Report itself should never contain classified information. In other words, the

Commission should endeavor not to include language in the Report that, if disclosed, will

damage the national security of the United States. Portions of the Report will draw on

classified information. Those portions, and only those portions, must be submitted to

pre-publication review by the agencies that supplied this information. The only job of

those agencies is to verify the Commission's judgment that none of the text, if disclosed,

will harm the national security of the United States. This is a different procedure than

that used for declassification of a classified document. Similar procedures have,

however, been used many times in the pre-publication review of memoirs or other books

that draw on classified information.

We have already asked the administration to organize teams for the rapid pre-publication

review process. We will have a chance to test this process in the clearance of the staff

statements that the Executive Director will present at the outset of public hearings

scheduled in 2004.

4. Commercial Publication of the Report

While the GPO can and will publish the Report, the GPO does not have the infrastructure

to place the report in bookstores across the nation or around the world and keep supplies

flowing to bookstores through wholesalers. Nor can the GPO provide the editorial,

promotional services, or management of subsidiary rights that a commercial publisher

canprovide.

Other notable government reports in the past have been published by commercial

publishers. In the case of the Warren Commission we believe this was done by advance

arrangement, including a release through the Book of the Month Club. In other cases a

publisher simply waits for the GPO release and then produces an instant book, a cheaply

produced paperback, to satisfy and profit from public demand. That is what happened to

the Kerner Commission, the Tower Board on Iran-Contra, and the Starr Report. We

think it is better for the Commission to control both the process and the quality of the

product.

Working with lawyers of the General Services Administration, the Commission has

confirmed its authority to contract with a private publisher for publication of the report

and has developed a lawful way to proceed. After investigating interest and suitability,

the Commission plans to solicit bids from three publishers: W.W. Norton, PublicAffairs,

and Times Books. A copy of the letter we intend to send to each of these publishers is

appended to this outline. It indicates the terms on which we hope these firms will

compete.

You will note that we do not ask publishers to forego or return their profit. Each of the

publishers are being asked to compete on their willingness to assume risks, such as the

costs of extremely fast 24/7 editorial and production turnaround of the manuscript, the



costs of large, speculative advance print runs, and these costs combined with a low sales

price (made still lower by our waiver of royalties). It is in our interest to encourage the

publishers to take a large risk, which—as private firms—they can rationalize by their

hopes of making a profit.



DATE

NAME

ORGANIZATION

ADDRESS

ADDRESSCITY, STATE ZIP

Dear NAME :

As you may know , the National Comm ission on Terrorist A ttacks Upon the

United States (better known as the 9-11 Comm ission) is an independent,

bipartisan inquiry created by congressional legislation and signed by President

George W . Bush in November 2002. The Com mission is chartered to prepare

a full and complete account of the circumstances surrounding the September

11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and provide recomm endations to guard against

future attacks.

The Com mission intends to produce an unclassified book-length report on or

before its statutory deadline of May 27,2004. As a federal entity, the

Com mission is obligated to publish its official report through the Governm ent

Printing Office (GPO). O nce released, the report will become part of the

public domain. Webelieve, however, that only a commercial publishing

house has the resources and institutional capacity to truly deliver the

Com mission's report to the American people. Public Law 107-306 permits theCommission to "enter into contracts to enable the Commission to discharge itsduties," and we are therefore seeking to partner with a civic-minded publisher

in order to ensure the report is widely and affordably available in bookstoresnationwide.

We envision an arrangement by which the Commission wou ld provide the

publisher with an exclusive advance copy of the report. In turn, the publisher

would produce hardcover and softcover versions, the debut of w hich would

coincide as much as possible with the report's official release, hi order toproceed, we are inviting three publishing houses, including [Publisher X], to

submit proposals for the Commission's consideration. Should [Publisher X]

wish to pursue this opportunity, we ask that your proposal address the

following criteria and questions:



1) Production Schedule. How quickly could [Publisher X] turn the

Commission's manuscript into an indexed book? How soon after would

the report appear on bookstore shelves?

2) Initial Print-Run and Distribution.What would be the initial print-run?

What are the distribution capabilities of [Publisher X], and how widely

would this book be distributed?

3) Price andProceeds. The Commission is willing to waive any royalties in

the hope that this cost saving can be passed back to readers in a reduced

price. Given this parameter, what would you estimate to be the price of the

book?

4) Marketing Plan and Partnership. We would expect to work with the

publisher to ensure that the message, content, and timing of its promotion

campaign complement the Commission's overall media strategy. How

would [Publisher X] propose to promote the book?

5) Confidentiality. The Commission would expect the publisher to sign a

confidentiality agreement to protect the report's contents prior to its

release. What other steps would [Publisher X] take to ensure the complete

confidentiality of the report?

6) Back-Listing and Future Reprints. How would [Publisher X] keep the

report in print over the medium- to long-term? How would [Publisher X]

view future reprints?

7) Design. The Commission would expect the book to have a tasteful and

dignified design from cover to cover. How would [Publisher X] work with

the Commission to ensure that all artwork reinforces the tone and solemn

purpose of the report?

hi addition to these criteria andquestions, we are also interested, more

generally, in what qualities you believe [Publisher X] has to offer, and why

your company is uniquely positioned to publish the Commission's report.

It is important for us to collaborate with a publisher who shares our vision for

this historic project. Please let us know if you intend to submit a proposal, and

feel free to call me with any questions you may have at (202) 331-4060. We

would like to receive all proposals by Tuesday, October 14. After a brief

period of internal review, my colleagues and I hope to meet with you in New

York or Washington in November.



Thank you for your consideration of this historic project. We look forward to

; f r o m you.

Sincerely,

Philip Zelikow

Executive Director

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