Amazon's e-book push hits setback with Kennedy memoir

Amazon.com scored a big win for its Kindle reader by ensuring that the electronic version of Dan Brown's latest novel, "The Lost Symbol," will come out the same day as the hardcover edition on Sept. 15 (with the e-book priced at Kindle's standard $9.99). But Amazon doesn't appear to be having the same success with another highly anticipated book: the late Sen. Edward Kennedy's memoir, "True Compass." Kennedy's publisher has decided to hold off on a digital version "indefinitely," the AP reports.

Amazon emphasizes new release books and bestsellers on the Kindle, so the digital delay with the Kennedy memoir isn't great news for the ecommerce giant. The hardcover version of "True Compass" is due to come out Sept. 14. Kennedy publisher Twelve called the e-book delay a "business decision" and said the photos and illustrations in the printed memoir are hard to duplicate digitally, according to AP.

Some publishers have grumbled about Amazon's $9.99 pricing for new release books on Kindle, fearing it could eat into hardcover sales. Another big test for Amazon's Kindle strategy will be Stephen King's new novel "Under the Dome," scheduled for release Nov. 10. There's currently no Kindle version yet, despite King's cheerleading for Kindle in the past.

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About Eric Engleman

ERIC ENGLEMAN is senior technology staff writer for TechFlash and the Puget Sound Business Journal, covering online retail giant Amazon.com. Engleman tracks Amazon's increasingly complex business, spanning ecommerce, Kindle, cloud computing, and more. He's been covering technology and other industries for the Business Journal since 2003.

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