America, America

Here's one of the odder phenomena of the endless presidential campaign: publishers getting directly involved. The Patriot Press, based in Gettysburg, Pa., announces that it will donate a quarter of its income in October to the John McCain/Sarah Palin campaign. Publisher T.A. Lower said, "We feel an obligation to endorse and support the candidate who believes in the ideals and freedoms of America, and who has a proven record in defending and honoring her. It is imperative that we ... put country first." Patriot's books have a Christian and patriotic (of course) emphasis. A recent title is "Shades of Gray," a Civil War novel by Jessica James.

Closer to home, Small Beer Press of Easthampton, Mass., promises to donate 20 percent of receipts from a current book sale to the Obama/Biden campaign. Publisher Gavin J. Grant said, "Our books are all great, and slightly weird. But nothing is weirder than what's happening in the world. Who can believe that George W. Bush managed to get elected once, never mind twice? Or that Sarah Palin's candidacy for vice president is taken seriously" Small Beer specializes in fiction, and a scan of its list turned up nothing weirder than what mainstream house are putting out these days.

Then there's the nonpartisan view, taken by Circlet Press. The Cambridge-based publisher of (we're not making this up) science fiction erotica will give anyone a free book upon proof of contribution to either side in the presidential campaign. "We know there is a lot going on out there with the failing economy, war in Iraq, and so on," says a Circlet blog post. "So our biggest hope is that Circlet’s readers get active in the political process, whether you are for McCain/Palin, Obama/Biden, or Rosalind/Adama. And we’re encouraging you to put your money where your mouth is (no, no, not there, you kinky thing)."