Barack Obama is publishing a memoir -- right after the election

CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire | 9/17/2020, 6:10 p.m.
Former President Barack Obama's long-awaited presidential memoir is coming this year -- but not until after the November election.
Former President Barack Obama's long-awaited presidential memoir is coming this year -- but not until after the November election./Credit: Penguin Random House

By Chris Isidore, CNN Business

(CNN) -- Former President Barack Obama's long-awaited presidential memoir is coming this year -- but not until after the November election.

A flood of hot-selling political books have hit shelves in recent weeks in the run-up to the election. Readers will have to wait for Obama's book, though: He tweeted early Thursday that the book, "A Promised Land," will be available November 17.

"There's no feeling like finishing a book, and I'm proud of this one," he tweeted. "In 'A Promised Land,' I try to provide an honest accounting of my presidency, the forces we grapple with as a nation, and how we can heal our divisions and make democracy work for everybody."

The 768-page book will issued simultaneously in 25 languages in markets around the world. The US hardback edition will cost $45, while the digital edition will cost $17.99. The audio version will cost $40.00 for a download and $65.00 for a CD. It is being published by Crown, a imprint of Penguin Random House.

The book is the first of two volumes of Obama's memoirs. It covers the period starting with his early political career up through his first election and early years in the Oval Office. It concludes with the successful operation to kill Osama bin Laden.

Michelle Obama's memoir, "Becoming," was published in 2018 and was a huge best seller, selling 1.4 million copies in the first week, and staying No. 1 in Amazon's best seller list for more than two months. The Obamas together were reportedly paid a $65 million advance for their memoirs by Penguin Random House.