‘Jaws at 35,000 feet’: the flight attendant whose thriller debut sold for seven figures

TJ Newman dreamt up her terror-in-the-skies novel Falling while guarding the cockpit as the pilots took a toilet break. She reveals how she kept going through furlough and 41 rejectionsFlight attendant Torri Newman was working on the red-eye flight from Los Angeles to New York when the idea for her debut novel came to her. To be precise, she was blocking access to the cockpit, a security procedure required when pilots take a toilet break. “I was standing at the front of the airplane,” she says, “looking out at the passengers. It was dark and they were all asleep. And I had this thought, ‘All of their lives, our lives, are in the hands of the pilots.’ That’s not exactly new – but the flipside of that also came to mind. With that much power and responsibility, how vulnerable does that make a commercial pilot?”Newman, speaking via Zoom from her home in Phoenix, Arizona, was rattled. “I just couldn’t shake the thought. A few days later, I was working a different trip with a different set of pilots, and I said to the captain, ‘Hey, what would you do if your family was taken, and you were told that if you didn’t crash the plane, they would be killed?” What was his reaction? “He had no clue what he would do – the thought terrified him.”I almost gave up. But seeing two authors at a Q&A reminded my why I had to keep going Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2021-05-04 05:00:21 UTC ]
News tagged with: #flight attendant #debut novel

Other Publishing stories related to: '‘Jaws at 35,000 feet’: the flight attendant whose thriller debut sold for seven figures'


DC Debuts Line of Super Hero Graphic Novels, Merchandise for Girls

In a new venture targeting girls ages 6-12, DC Comics is teaming with Random House, Mattel and Lego to release a multifaceted line of print and digital content and merchandise based on its female superheroes. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dc comics #random house #digital content #female superheroes


No Exit prepares for new Starr thriller

No Exit Press has acquired the latest thriller by Jason Starr, his 10th crime novel and his first for six years. Managing director Ion Mills bought UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada direct from the author. Set in the suburbs of New York City, Savage Lane is said to be a thriller that... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #latest thriller #exit press #gillian flynn


Penguin Random House Debuts New Unified Website

The publisher's newly designed website, which brings Random House and Penguin together online, is optimized for mobile devices and, according to PRH CEO Marcus Dohle is “consumer-focused.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mobile devices


Scarthin Books raises over £10,000 for repairs

Derbyshire bookshop Scarthin Books has raised more than £10,000 in an appeal to fund urgent structural repairs. Proprietor Dave Mitchell said an engineer has told him he needs to install four steel columns to support 1,000 feet of bookshelves, and has turned to Crowdfunder because he would... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


You’ve sold 17 million albums and you want to pay me nothing? Pat Pope’s row with Garbage

When the managers of indie giants Garbage asked photographer Pat Pope to use his pictures for no fee, he made a standA professional photographer for more than 20 years, and published in Q, Melody Maker and Rolling Stone, Pat Pope has worked with many of the biggest names in pop and rock music,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-04-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #biggest names #david bowie


Time 100 adds Haruki Murakami to list of world's most influential figures

Japanese novelist is joined by Nigeria’s Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie in famous ranking of the people ‘shaping the future’Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami has been named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine, backed by Yoko Ono as “a valuable voice for peace” as Japan’s... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #influential people #time magazine #yoko ono #kanye west #kim jong- #hillary clinton


HC signs six-figure deals for Gurley and Chambers

HarperFiction has signed a self-published novel in a six-figure deal, as well as a further three books by Kimberley Chambers. Editorial director Natasha Bardon and executive publisher Kate Elton pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, in Jason Gurley's Eleanor, in a deal with... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #kimberley chambers #originally self-published #caspian dennis #abner stein #seth fishman #gernert company


HC inks six-figure deals for Lawrence and Casey

HarperCollins has signed six-figure deals with fantasy writer Mark Lawrence and crime author Jane Casey. HarperVoyager’s Jane Johnson signed UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) to a trilogy by Lawrence for a “substantial” six-figure sum, in a deal with Ian Drury at Sheil Land. The... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ian drury #sheil land


S&S‘ six-figure Peterson poach

Novelist Alice Peterson has moved from Quercus to Simon & Schuster in a six-figure deal. S&S publishing director Jo Dickinson bought world rights to two novels from The Agency Group’s Diana Beaumont, in the latter’s first deal since joining the company from the Rupert Heath Literary Agency. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #six-figure deal #simon schuster #agency group #diana beaumont


Thrillers, killers, spillers: Aussie pulp fiction of the 40s and 50s – in pictures

Passion! Mystery! Crime! After the Australian government banned the import of American pulp magazines at the onset of the second world war, publisher Frank Johnson stepped into the market with a flurry of crime, adventure and romance novels. Drawn from his archives, a collection of cover art,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #world war #romance novels #cover art #south wales


Sony Debuts New DRM for Publishers

In recent years, the big question surrounding digital rights management (DRM) software in publishing has been whether or not publishers should use it at all. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sony debuts


Roberto Duran memoir goes for six figures

Macmillan has acquired an autobiography by “one of the greatest boxers who ever lived” in a six-figure deal. Roberto Duran, nicknamed Hands of Stone, held four world titles at four different weights and fought boxers including Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns and Marvin Hagler. Macmillan... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #six-figure deal


Transworld in six-figure deal for Wild

Transworld has bought five books by Meredith Wild, who was originally self-published, in a “significant six-figure deal”. Editorial director Harriet Bourton acquired British Commonwealth rights to all five books in the Hacker series from Grand Central Publishing in the US. The first four books... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #six-figure deal #originally self-published


Associated Press Debuts Book Line

AP Editions will release titles about current events and global personalities based on the work of AP reporters stationed throughout the world. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #current events


Pan Mac signs standalone thriller from Hannah

Pan Macmillan has acquired the first standalone thriller from crime writer Mari Hannah. Publishing director Wayne Brookes bought UK and Commonwealth rights including Canada to The Silent Room from Oli Munson at A M Heath. Hannah is the author of a series of novels, published by Pan Macmillan,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pan macmillan #standalone thriller #oli munson #tv rights #sprout pictures #stephen fry


Borough Press pays six figures for Pearson sequel

The Borough Press has pre-empted a sequel to Allison Pearson's I Don't Know How She Does It in a "high six-figure" deal. Executive publisher for fiction and non-fiction Kate Elton signed UK and Commonwealth rights to the book from Caroline Michel at PFD. North American rights were signed by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #borough press #allison pearson #high six-figure #executive publisher #caroline michel #st martin


GCP Signs Indie Author Wild to 7-Figure Deal

In the third major deal for an indie author in the run-up to next week's London Book Fair, Grand Central's Forever imprint has inked Meredith Wild to a five-book, seven-figure deal. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #major deal #indie author #grand central #seven-figure deal


Bologna Children's Book Fair Attendance Up in 2015

This year's Bologna Children's Book Fair saw a 10% increase in foreign visitors, with 1,200 exhibitors attending from 77 countries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bologna children #book fair #10% increase


Self-published star Jasinda Wilder lands seven-figure deal with traditional imprint

After selling more than 2m ebooks under her own steam, the DIY star has now sold ‘dark, sexy’ Madame X trilogy to Berkley BooksRomance novelist Jasinda Wilder has become the latest self-published writer to land a major deal with a mainstream publisher, after her “dark, sexy” Madame X trilogy was... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #2m ebooks #major deal


Sony Debuts New DRM for Publishers: Digital Spotlight 2015

In recent ears, the big question surrounding digital rights management (DRM) software in publishing has been whether or not publishers should use it at all. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sony debuts