For Immediate Release – news of a really exciting project we have been working on this year.

Iconic Books, Such as John Updike’s Pulitzer Prize-Winning Rabbit Series and Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita,” Now Available Electronically for the First Time Ever, Exclusively in the Kindle Store

Amazon’s Kindle Store now exclusively offering 20 books from The Wylie Agency’s new Odyssey Editions imprint

SEATTLE—July 22, 2010—Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced that The Wylie Agency is publishing 20 books from some of literature’s most influential authors through its new Odyssey Editions imprint and making them available for sale exclusively in the Kindle Store. This is the first time any of the titles—which include Norman Mailer’s “The Naked and the Dead,” Philip Roth’s “Portnoy’s Complaint” and Ralph Ellison’s “Invisible Man”—have been available electronically, and all of the books are exclusive to the Kindle Store for two years. Starting today, customers can download these books for $9.99 from the Kindle Store and read them everywhere–on their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, BlackBerry, PC, Mac, iPad and Android devices.

“Our goal with Kindle is to make every book, ever published, in print or out of print, available in less than 60 seconds,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content. “Having these prominent and important books available through The Wylie Agency’s Odyssey Editions is another great step toward this goal. We’re excited to let our customers read books like ‘Rabbit Run’ for the first time ever electronically.”

“As the market for e-books grows, it will be important for readers to have access in e-book format to the best contemporary literature the world has to offer,” said Andrew Wylie, President of Odyssey Editions. “This publishing program is designed to address that need, and to help e-book readers build a digital library of classic contemporary literature.”

The Wylie Agency operates internationally from offices in New York and London. In business for more than 30 years, it has built a reputation for consistently high standards. The writers and estates it represents include many of the greatest names in 20th and 21st century literature. Odyssey Editions is the first digitally native literary imprint launch of its kind.

Books available in the Kindle Store through Odyssey Editions include modern classics such as Hunter S. Thompson’s “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” Salman Rushdie’s “Midnight’s Children,” Oliver Sacks’ “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat,” Vladimir Nabokov’s “Lolita,” John Cheever’s “The Stories of John Cheever” and four novels from John Updike’s Rabbit series.

The 20 e-books published by Odyssey Imprints carry an elegant and unified new look designed in collaboration with Enhanced Editions. Features include:

• Newly-designed jackets
• Interior typography adhering to best conventions of book design and reading on Kindle
• Colophon, book covers and series design optimized for the Kindle screen

The 20 books being published by Odyssey Editions and made available exclusively on Kindle are:

• “London Fields” by Martin Amis
• “The Adventures of Augie March” by Saul Bellow
• “Ficciones” (Spanish Edition) by Jorge Luis Borges
• “Junky” by William Burroughs
• “The Stories of John Cheever” by John Cheever
• “Invisible Man” by Ralph Ellison
• “Love Medicine” by Louise Erdrich
• “The Naked and the Dead” by Norman Mailer
• “Lolita” by Vladimir Nabokov
• “The Enigma of Arrival” by V.S. Naipaul
• “The White Castle” by Orhan Pamuk
• “Portnoy’s Complaint” by Philip Roth
• “Midnight’s Children” by Salman Rushdie
• “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat” by Oliver Sacks
• “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” by Hunter S. Thompson
• “Rabbit Run” by John Updike
• “Rabbit Redux” by John Updike
• “Rabbit is Rich” by John Updike
• “Rabbit at Rest” by John Updike
• “Brideshead Revisited” by Evelyn Waugh

The Kindle editions of these books are now available for sale exclusively in the Kindle Store. Kindle offers the largest selection of the most popular books people want to read. The U.S. Kindle Store now has more than 630,000 books, including New Releases and 106 of 110 New York Times Bestsellers. Over 510,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 75 New York Times Bestsellers. Over 1.8 million free, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books are also available to read on Kindle.

For more information about these books, visit www.amazon.com/odyssey or www.odysseyeditions.com. Eleven of these books will be available globally. Kindle is in stock and available for immediate shipment today at www.amazon.com/kindle.

About Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon.

Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including www.amazon.com, www.amazon.co.uk, www.amazon.de, www.amazon.co.jp, www.amazon.fr, www.amazon.ca, and www.amazon.cn. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise.

Forward-Looking Statements
This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com’s financial results is included in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings.

Amazon.com, Inc.
Media Hotline, 206-266-7180

]]> http://www.enhanced-editions.com/press-release/2010/07/odyssey-editions-launches/feed/ 0 http://www.enhanced-editions.com/press-release/2010/05/david-eaglemans-sum-now-in-a-variety-of-exciting-formats/ http://www.enhanced-editions.com/press-release/2010/05/david-eaglemans-sum-now-in-a-variety-of-exciting-formats/#comments Thu, 20 May 2010 11:10:53 +0000 the Enhanced Editions Team http://www.enhanced-editions.com/?p=1279

Sum: Tales from the Afterlives, the word-of-mouth phenomenon that has already hit the shelves in paperback, is to be released in a variety of exciting formats and experienced in new ways.

David Eagleman’s book caused quite a stir last year when it shot to the No 2 spot on Amazon following a tweet from Stephen Fry. Now Sum has again found itself at the forefront of technological innovation and multimedia publishing.

The slim volume has been adapted for the stage by Brian Eno, in an event which will form a key part of the Brighton Festival on 22nd May. This Is The Afterlives is a multimedia production in which Eagleman’s short, sharp vignettes are ‘reincarnated’ for a live stage encounter by a diverse cast of readers, including the author. The readings will be accompanied by visual images from Wordsalad’s Nick Robertson and live music by Brian Eno.

To coincide with this groundbreaking performance, Canongate Books is releasing a deluxe gatefold edition of the Sum audiobook. Currently only available to buy as a digital download, this audio features a stellar cast of readers: Gillian Anderson, Emily Blunt, Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker, Jack Davenport, Lisa Dwan, David Eagleman, Noel Fielding, Kerry Fox, Stephen Fry, Clarke Peters, Lemn Sissay and Harriet Walter.

In addition, on May 24th the stories will be released as downloadable paired ‘bundles’, onto Audible.co.uk and iTunes. In additional to the initial release of twenty pairs, there are plans for future releases with reimagined and remixed content.

An enhanced application for iPhone and iPod Touch, developed in conjunction with Enhanced Editions, will also be released on 20th May. This brand new app will contain the full text, the full audiobook and nine videos of David Eagleman discussing the book, its themes, origins and impact.

Alongside these releases, Ridley Scott’s production company RSA have been commissioned to make a number of short films inspired by the scenarios of Sum, as part of a broader partnership with Canongate Books to bring its content to a wider audience in different media and forms.

More information can be found on the book’s website.

David Eagleman will be on tour in the UK at the end of May and is available for interview. For further information contact Anna Frame on 0131 524 9340 or anna.frame[at]canongate.co.uk.

London — March 9, 2010 — 4th Estate and Enhanced Editions today announced the Wolf Hall App is now available for iPhone and iPod touch from the App Store. The Wolf Hall App is a feature-packed ebook version of the 2009 Man Booker prize winning Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. In Wolf Hall, Mantel, one of UK’s leading writers, brings the opulent, brutal world of the Tudors to bloody, glittering life. Wolf Hall is the backdrop to the rise and rise of Thomas Cromwell: lowborn boy, charmer, bully, master of deadly intrigue, and, finally, most powerful of Henry VIII’s courtiers.

“We’re thrilled to be launching this app on the App Store at the same time as our paperback publication of the phenomenon that is Wolf Hall,” said Press Books MD, John Bond. “The enhanced app for iPhone and iPod touch gives us an opportunity to reach readers who want to experience the book in an exciting new way.”

“Releasing an enhanced edition of the most successful Man Booker prize winner ever shows the incredible growth and authority now associated with reading on iPhone and iPod touch,” said Peter Collingridge, Enhanced Editions. “This is a book that defies simple categorisation and we expect it to gain a whole new audience now that it is also an app.”

The app contains the full text of Wolf Hall plus a number of multimedia extras and exclusives including:

• A 30-minute video discussion between Hilary Mantel and renowned historian David Starkey, filmed at the Tower of London.
• A cast of characters and Tudor family trees.
• An essay by Hilary on the problems of historical fiction.
• A regularly updated news feed containing further videos, podcasts and extras.

The Wolf Hall App is available for £6.99 from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

In addition to the paid app, there will also be a free version which includes the first chapter, news feed and a short clip from the video discussion.

• 2010 titles available to download as e-books
• A free Ruth Rendell digital download for World Book Day (.epub / .pdf)
• All titles available on Apple’s iTunes Store.

Quick Reads is this year reaching out to yet more potential readers with an innovative new digital scheme. The major adult literacy initiative, which celebrates its fifth anniversary in March, is now taking books, by best-selling writers and celebrities, direct to the computers and mobile phones of new and non-readers.

From World Book Day, Thursday 4th March, all ten of the 2010 Quick Read titles – from bestselling authors including Cathy Kelly, Andy McNab, Peter James, Rolf Harris and Alvin Hall – will be available as apps on the Apple iPod and iPhone and as downloads direct to computers and e-readers from the Quick Reads website. To kick-off the digital campaign, one title – The Thief by Ruth Rendell – will be available as a free download (.epub / .pdf) for the week of launch.

Kathy Gale, Quick Reads Project Director comments, “This is an important step for Quick Reads. Over the past five years we have undertaken a major outreach campaign to provide people who are not reading with great books designed to get them hooked. With Quick Reads available digitally on computers and phones, we are not expecting them to come to the printed book, we are taking books to them. Talks are underway with other digital providers and we hope to have more to announce soon.”

The apps, produced by award-winning digital publisher Enhanced Editions, allow users to choose their font and text size. They also use the device accelerometer (which detects when the device is being tilted) to scroll the page, offer a bedtime-friendly night reading mode and encourage users to send excerpts to friends via email. All of the Enhanced Editions apps come with a short sample of the other nine titles, plus a live feed of the latest news about the authors and partners involved in Quick Reads.

The digitization of Quick Reads will make a great difference to adult learners, particularly those with dyslexia or impaired sight, who find it difficult to access print of any kind. With Quick Reads available on computers, mobile phones and e-readers, learners can manipulate text on a screen to their convenience as well as use a screen reader.

Quick Reads are part of a campaign to get more people reading in the UK and Ireland. They are short, sharp shots of entertainment – fast, fun books by bestselling writers and celebrities which prove that books can be as exciting as an action film and as thrilling as a theme-park ride. Since its inception in March 2006, over one and a quarter million Quick Reads have reached new readers.

www.quickreads.org.uk

Enhanced Editions, the digital innovator that creates enhanced e-book apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch, has been shortlisted in the prestigious Innovation in User Experience category at this year’s eConsultancy Innovation Awards.

Enhanced Editions works with publishers to create bespoke digital books for the iPhone. Their release of Nick Cave’s Bunny Munro (in association with Canongate Books) was described by The Bookseller as “the moment digital publishing came of age”.

Core features of the title included embedded video, audio, and a soundtrack synchronised to the text, as well as live news feeds and a range of interface features that enable readers to customise the reading experience.

Enhanced Editions is the only book, ebook or publishing product to be short-listed in any of the 22 categories, where the judges are drawn from companies such as Google, Channel 4, Honda and The Guardian. With over 400 entries, the winners will be selected and announced next week.

Co-founder Peter Collingridge said, “Enhanced Editions was set up with the aim of providing an innovative and delightful digital reading experience that takes everything we love about reading, and combines it with everything great about iPhone. Our users have told us how delighted they are with this experience, but it is a fantastic accolade to have that reinforced by the highly experienced judges at eConsultancy.”

For further information please contact –
Peter Collingridge at peter [at] enhanced-editions.com

October 21, 2009 – Enhanced Editions is pleased to announce that David Graham, the former Managing Director of Granta Publications and Canongate Books is to work with the company as a Senior Advisor.

Graham brings 20 years of experience in trade publishing and will help drive Enhanced Editions’ strategic direction and growth. Graham was Managing Director at Granta from 2006 to 2009 and before that the Managing Director of Canongate Books from 2000 to 2006.

“Enhanced Editions has created the first genuinely innovative product in digital publishing,” said Graham, “and I am looking forward to helping develop the company’s commercial strategy to ensure that Enhanced Editions remains at the forefront of this new and exciting publishing channel.”

Enhanced Editions MD Peter Collingridge adds “Enhanced Editions is growing fast, and the unique reading experiences we create are attracting interest from across the publishing industry and the broader media landscape. David’s skills and experience will be invaluable at this critical stage in our development. On a personal note I am also delighted to build upon our long-standing relationship as a new chapter opens in publishing’s history.”

Enhanced Editions works with publishers to create bespoke digital books for the iPhone. Their release of Nick Cave’s Bunny Munro (in association with Canongate Books) was described by The Bookseller as “the moment digital publishing came of age”. Core features of the title included embedded video, audio, and a soundtrack synchronised to the text, as well as live news feeds and a range of interface features that enable readers to customise the reading experience.

For further information contact Enhanced Editions.

ENDS

London, UK — October 20, 2009 — Enhanced Editions and Canongate Books today announced that the no. 1 international bestseller, Dreams from my Father by Barack Obama is now available as an e-book app from the App Store.

Before Barack Obama became a politician he was, among other things, a writer. Dreams from my Father is his masterpiece: a refreshing, revealing portrait of a young man asking the big questions about identity and belonging. The book has sold over a million copies in the UK to date and has been described as ‘thoughtful, moving and brilliantly written’ (The Times) and ‘a bestseller because of its freshness and honesty’ (Sunday Times).

The app has been created by Enhanced Editions, a new e-book production house co-founded by Peter Collingridge of the digital design company Apt Studio, working in partnership with Canongate Books. As well as familiar e-book features such as the ability to change font size, and bookmark pages, the app will include the ability to email extracts to friends and a tilt-scroll feature that uses the built-in accelerometer to allow the reader to experience the book without having to touch the device but by altering the angle of the screen.

Peter Collingridge says: “Electronic reading is at its tipping point, and the availability of Dreams from my Father on iPhone and iPod touch — by far the most exciting and widely distributed devices for ebooks — shows how new technology can help bring literature to an even wider audience. This is a hugely exciting addition to the Enhanced Editions list.”

Dan Franklin, digital editor at Canongate Books says: “We’re delighted to be making Dreams from my Father available as an app. It is a phenomenal book which deserves to be made available in all the formats the times allow. It’s been a huge success as a printed book and we imagine it will be very successful on the iPhone and iPod touch.”

The Dreams from my Father App is available for £4.99 from the App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at http://www.itunes.com/appstore/.

Also being released is an App of Barack Obama’s The Audacity of Hope, priced at £4.99, available on the App Store.