Amazon buys rights to James Bond novels

Online retail giant Amazon has taken a further step into the world of publishing by buying the rights to produce Ian Fleming’s James Bond novels in the US.

The company will retain republication rights for a period of 10 years for both printed books and e-books.

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The 14 Bond books included in the agreement are Casino Royale, Live and Let Die, Moonraker, Diamonds Are Forever, From Russia with Love, Dr. No, Goldfinger,  For your Eyes Only, Thunderball,  The Spy Who Loved Me, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, You Only Live Twice, The Man With The Golden Gun, Octopussy and the Living Daylights.

The company has published a small number of books in the past but none by such a prestigious author as Ian Fleming. 

Corinne Turner, managing director of Ian Fleming Publications said: “We are excited to be using the opportunity of this re-license to introduce Ian Fleming’s books to a broader audience in the USA, and we believe that Amazon Publishing has the ability to place the books back at the heart of the Bond brand, balancing traditional publishing routes with new technologies and new ways of reaching our readers.”

Amazon will be giving the books a new look and will begin selling the titles this summer.