Where do Deepak Chopra’s publishing affections lie?
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Over the weekend, news surfaced that bestselling author Deepak Chopra had signed a book deal with Amazon’s new New York-based publishing imprint, Amazon Publishing. Chopra and his brother Dr. Sanjiv Chopra will co-author a memoir tentatively titled ‘Brotherhood: A Tale of Faith, Big Dreams and the Power of Persistence.’
That’s good news for Chopra and his fans, but maybe not so good for Crown and parent company Random House. They signed a deal with Chopra for his own imprint, Deepak Chopra Books, whose first books are expected to hit shelves in 2013.
The New York Observer writes, ‘Mr. Chopra’s Seven Spiritual Laws for Success do not apparently include a binding clause to tie him to his longtime publisher.’
Chopra’s agent, Robert Gottlieb, may have stirred emotions up at Crown and Random House. ‘I am delighted that Amazon, Deepak and Sanjiv Chopra are in business together in a major book deal,’ he said, ‘that is a game-changer for the publishing industry.’
Publishers Weekly reports that Random House responded in a release stressing that Deepak Chopra ‘has had several publishers simultaneously throughout his career’ and that Crown has ‘multiple future books of his under contract.’
Amazon Publishing is being led by publishing veteran Larry Kirshbaum, a former CEO of Time Warner Book Group. Deal trackers in the publishing industry have noted three major signings: a memoir from actress/director Penny Marshall, a book from self-help author Tim Ferriss and the Chopra brothers’ memoir.
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-- Carolyn Kellogg
