Free Press Hooks Phelps  

-- Publishers Weekly, 8/22/2008 8:04:00 AM

Free Press editor-in-chief Dominick Anfuso prevailed in an auction last week to acquire the memoir from Olympic megastar Michael Phelps. Built to Succeed is scheduled to be released this December. “We’re going to have to work very hard to get it done in time, but I think it is going to be a great book,” said Free Press head Martha Levin. Scott Waxman and Farley Chase of the Waxman Literary Agency made the deal in association with Peter Carlisle of Octagon. Free Press acquired North American, audio and first serial rights, and the agreement also calls for a children's book to be released next year.

The narrative thread of the book will be built around Phelps’ eight final races and will provide insights from the Olympic games as well as including anecdotes about his family, coach and passion for the sport. A search for a co-author is underway. S&S is planning a 500,000-copy first printing and Levin said Phelps is “very committed to promoting the book.”