McCain and Obama Bios Available on Kindle Pre-Pub

By Lynn Andriani -- Publishers Weekly, 9/10/2008 8:21:00 AM

Amazon will make Lyons Press biographies of Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama available to customers through the Kindle before the print books go on sale. The books are Cindy McCain: Elegance, Good Will and Hope for a New America by Alicia Colon, and Michelle Obama: Grace and Intelligence in a Time of Change by Elizabeth Lightfoot. The Obama biography is available exclusively on Kindle starting today and the McCain biography is scheduled to be available on Kindle next Monday, September 15. Shortly after the election, Lyons will print a $14.95 paperback of the winning candidate's wife's book.

“We’re very excited to be able to deliver to readers the first biographies of the candidates’ wives,” said Scott Watrous, president and publisher of The Globe Pequot Press, of which Lyons Press is an imprint. “Kindle is driving a brand new type of reading experience and we’re pleased to be a part of it by offering our content to Kindle readers before the print version comes out.”

Watrous said he is not worried about other accounts reacting negatively to GPP’s decision to offer the book exclusively as a Kindle e-book. “There are no real other options to make an e-book available, other than Sony. Because the Kindle is so accessible and because Amazon is such a visible vehicle we decided that was the best way to go.”