Chelsea Green Makes Obama Book Available Early Exclusively on Amazon

By Lynn Andriani -- Publishers Weekly, 8/15/2008 7:40:00 AM

Chelsea Green Publishing is crashing a book on Obama in time for the Democratic National Convention in Denver later this month. President and publisher Margo Baldwin said the book, Obama’s Challenge: America’s Economic Crisis and the Power of a Transformative Presidency by Robert Kuttner, will go from final manuscript to bound books within four weeks. The publisher will produce 2,000 advance copies, and make the book available early exclusively on Amazon—two firsts for the eco-conscious independent publisher.

In the book, Kuttner, an economic journalist and cofounder of The American Prospect, explains what Obama, if elected, must do to solve America’s economic crisis and, in the process, become a transformative leader. Chelsea Green’s first printing is 75,000 copies, and it will distribute 2,000 advance reading copies at DNC events throughout the week. It will also place coupons for an early discount in welcome packets to 15,000 convention-goers. The coupons are redeemable on Amazon.com and the book will be printed on-demand by BookSurge, as a $13.95 trade paperback. Obama’s Challenge will be available to order on Amazon.com as soon as coupons are distributed on the first day of the convention, August 25 (official pub date is September 15).

Baldwin said, “This election is too important to wait around for traditional publishing lead times. The book needs to come out now if it’s to have a major impact.” BookSurge’s POD technology will allow Amazon to ship books to customers on the same day orders are placed.