An Indie Hits Back at Globe's Amazon Exclusive

By Lynn Andriani -- Publishers Weekly, 9/11/2008 7:58:00 AM

At least one independent bookseller is distressed over The Globe Pequot Press’s decision to release biographies of Cindy McCain and Michelle Obama exclusively as Kindle e-books. Jane Jacobs, buyer at Porter Square Books in Cambridge, Mass., contacted her rep at GPP, Mark Carbray, yesterday, telling him the news was “most distressing.” GPP president and publisher Scott Watrous told PW yesterday that he did not think other accounts would react negatively to the plan which called for the bios to be sold via the Kindle about two months before the print edition will be released.

Jacobs said she ordered paperback editions of both books, and was informed that the one shipped after the election would be that of the winning candidate's wife. “That was a strange enough decision in itself,” she said. “But I made it and ordered 12 each.” Now that she knows Amazon will sell both books as Kindle e-books two months before she would have one of them in her store, she has cancelled her order.” I feel like I have been cheated,” Jacobs said.

Barnes & Noble, which last month cancelled its order of Chelsea Green’s Obama’s Challenge upon learning it would be available early exclusively on Amazon, did not return calls for comment about the GPP first lady bios.