the buzz log

Sarah Palin is looking for a second act. Her memoir's turned in, and it's already a hit. Now that she's no longer in office, she could be your next motivational speaker. Maybe.

The ex-gov first wowed the American public when she was plucked from Alaska to run as John McCain's VP back in 2008. But wow quickly turned to "ow" as the troubles piled on, from wardrobe-gate to media hate to Tina Fey's dead-on mockery on "Saturday Night Live." So will things go her way, or awry?

First, the ex-gov wanted a clean slate. So she started by writing her own story. Sort of. Although she gets extra credit for turning her memoirs in early, and a mere two months after stepping down from office, the first-person account has signs of "ghostwriter" written all over it. (Not that there's anything wrong with that.)

But just because the book might not have been written by her doesn't mean the masses don't want to see it. Pre-sale orders have shot it up to number one on Amazon, overtaking Dan "Da Vinci Code" Brown. And yes, making it a bestseller way before it hits bookshelves on Nov. 17. HarperCollins must have figured as much, since they ordered an initial print run of a whopping 1.5 million books.

The folksy-talking hockey mom's latest gig is to get out on the lecture circuit. But her dance card is embarrassingly empty. Perhaps the reportedly way-high asking price of $100,000 is to blame. To add insult to the underwhelming response, the New York Post's gossipy Page Six turned to an industry insider who said talent bookers are scared to secure her because "they think she is a blithering idiot." Yikes.

Still, signs are good she could turn it all around. Marketwatch bets that if Palin can whip up a buying frenzy along with good reviews for her book, it could lead to major media offers — and the chance to show the world she's still got it. Heck, America loves a comeback. You betchya.