Ever since Barack Obama’s rise to national prominence, the Democratic presidential nominee has spawned a publishing cottage industry. The search words “Barack Obama” in Amazon deliver 1,259 hits, and while many of them are books, there are a variety of other items, ranging from calendars (2009 Barack Obama wall calendar), spoken-word audiobooks (The Essential Barack Obama), magazine articles, speeches, playing cards and original e-books. Obama titles have come from the major houses as well as self-publishers. But while a number of Obama-related titles have hit the bestseller lists—including two written by the senator—not every title bearing the candidate’s name has turned to gold. Here’s a sampling of some of the Obama titles and how they’ve performed.
The Rise of Barack ObamaAuthor: Pete SouzaPublisher: Triumph BooksRelease date: July 1, 2008Amazon ranking*: 26,146BookScan sales**: 4,000Hook: Documenting the rise of Obama in words and picturesThe Faith of Barack Obama
Author: Stephen Mansfield
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release date: August 5, 2008
Amazon ranking: 25,334
BookScan sales: 4,000
Hook: An examination of Obama as a person of faith
Who Is the Real Barack Obama?: For the Rising Generation, by the Rising Generation
Authors: Steve Bierfeldt, Francisco Gonzalez, Brendan Steinhauser
Publisher: AuthorHouse
Release date: August 11, 2008
Amazon ranking: 189,313
BookScan sales: Less than 1,000
Hook: Three authors explain why Obama is not the candidate preferred by all young voters
Barack Obama Is Your New Bicycle: 366 Ways He Really Cares
Author: Mathew Honan
Publisher: Gotham
Release date: August 5, 2008
Amazon ranking: 197,628
BookScan sales: Less than 1,000
Hook: A humorous compilation of Obama’s “lesser known” accomplishments
Barack Obama: What He Believes In—from His Own Words
Author: --
Publisher: Arc Manor
Release date: March 1, 2008
Amazon ranking: 444,965
BookScan sales: Less than 1,000
Hook: A look at what Obama did in the Senate in 2007, drawn from the legislation he supported
The Dream Begins: How Hawaii Shaped Barack Obama
Authors: Stu Glauberman, Jerry Burris
Publisher: Watermark Publishing
Release date: September 1, 2008
Amazon ranking: 128,951
BookScan sales: Less than 1,000
Hook: Two Hawaiian journalists explore the impact the multicultural state of Hawaii had on Obama as a boy
*As of September 26. **Sales through September 21 from Nielsen BookScan.
