After she was dropped by her agent, Alex Aster turned to a books-obsessed corner of TikTok to gauge interest in her YA novel … and now Lightlark is one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of the yearHaving finally published her first novel, Alex Aster was feeling disheartened. The book had tanked during the pandemic and she had been dropped by her literary agent. Then, on 13 March 2021, she decided to take to TikTok, asking her followers if they would: “read a book about a cursed island that only appears once every 100 years to host a game that gives the six rulers of the realm a chance to break their curses.” One of the rulers must die, the short video revealed, “even as love complicates everything” for the heroine, Isla Crown.Aster didn’t expect much, especially when she checked in a few hours later to see that her post had only clocked up about 1,000 views. Maybe the books world was right, she thought. Maybe there wasn’t a market for Lightlark, a young adult story she had been writing and rewriting for years, to no interest from publishers. The next day, however, she woke up to see her video had been viewed more than a million times. A week later, Lightlark had gone to auction and she had a six-figure deal with Amulet Books. Last month, Universal preemptively bought the film rights for, in her words, “more zeros than I’ve seen in my life”. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2022-08-16 13:32:30 UTC ]
Dissident tales from pseudonymous author Bandi, still living in the country, are very rare fiction to emerge from the secretive dictatorshipA collection of short stories written under a pseudonym and smuggled out of North Korea is on its way to becoming an international literary sensation, with... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kalem Literary Agency remembers legendary Spanish literary agent Carmel Balcells and her contributions to international authors, writing and agenting. The post On Carmen Balcells: Remembering the Role of a Literary Agent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2016-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Omaira Rodríguez is Uruguay's only literary agent, tasked with selling rights abroad and increasing the international awareness of authors from her country. The post Omaira Rodríguez is Uruguay’s Lone Literary Agent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Clark, a literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd. and speaker at PW’s upcoming Global Kids Connect Summit, talked us about what U.S. children's titles seem to be working well abroad right now, and the biggest mistakes publishers make in their approach to their foreign rights business. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-11-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pushkin Press has sold US rights for The Red Abbey Chronicles by Finnish author Maria Turtschaninoff to Abrams Books in a six-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-11-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Curtis Brown and Conville and Walsh are to host a Twitter based event dedicated to "de-mystifying" the publishing process for prospective authors, called Discovery Day Online. Following the literary agencies’ Discovery Days in 2012 and 2013, held at Foyles Charing Cross Road, Discovery Day... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Describe your role It’s my job to support the authors I represent through the whole publishing process. This includes everything from working with them editorially and pitching their work to editors, to negotiating contracts on their behalf. What do you like best about your role? As a brand... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Film rights to Andrew Michael Hurley’s The Loney (John Murray) have been optioned by DNA Films, with the support of Film4, after a five-way auction. The gothic novel is set on the Lancashire coast and follows a Catholic family who make an Easter pilgrimage from London to try and cure their mute... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Crime writer James Oswald has signed a “significant six-figure” deal for two new books in his Inspector McLean series with Michael Joseph. Publishing director Alex Clarke bought UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, to the books from Juliet Mushens of UTA. Oswald’s first Inspector... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The feted US literary agent on addiction, attempted suicide, and having his first novel longlisted for the Booker prizeBill Clegg is a leading New York literary agent and the author of the bestselling memoirs Portrait of an Addict As a Young Man and Ninety Days, which describe respectively his... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2015-09-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Head of Zeus has struck a six-figure deal for a thriller series by Stefan Ahnhem. Laura Palmer, publishing director at Head of Zeus, bought UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada to the first three books of the Fabian Risk Series from Jolise Beaton and Gillian Fizet at House of Anansi... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Robin Stevens’ children’s detective series Murder Most Unladylike has been optioned for television and film by independent production company Pilot Media. Pilot Media optioned the rights from Emily Hayward Whitlock, head of book to film at The Artists’ Partnership, who was acting on behalf of... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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MGM has optioned the film rights to upcoming YA novel Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon. The production company struck a deal with publisher Penguin RandomHouse Children’s and has already hired J Mills Goodloe, the scriptwriter for Age of Adaline, to develop the project. The novel, which... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-08-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House UK Children's has acquired a teen book by Emily Barr in a six-figure deal. Editorial director Ruth Knowles bought world rights to The One Memory of Flora Banks, along with a second stand-alone novel, from Lauren Pearson at Curtis Brown. The book is about Flora, a teenage... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As a literary agent, Frankfurt has been a launch pad for some of the most powerful women’s voices from around the world. This year will be no different. The post How Can Women Change the World? Book by Book appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Julie Crisp has signed up her first author as a literary agent following her departure from Pan Macmillan. Crisp will represent Sam Hawke, an Australian fantasy writer from Canberra, who has written a novel called Proof, described as “intelligent fantasy concentrating on issues of race, gender... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency is expanding with the addition of two new agents this summer. Thérèse Coen will join the business as a rights agent in July, with Sarah O'Halloran joining as a literary agent in August. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-06-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One of the few literary agents focusing on Arabic, Yasmina Jraissati, discusses the non-existent role of the literary agent in the Middle East. The post Why Are There No Literary Agents in the Middle East? appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Macmillan has acquired a new epic fantasy series in a six-figure deal. Senior commissioning editor Bella Pagan bought world rights to John Gwynne’s standalone trilogy from agent John Jarrold. The trilogy will be set in the same stirring Celtic-inspired world as Gwynne’s first quartet, the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-05-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kimberley Young, publisher of women's fiction at HarperCollins, has signed world English language rights in three novels by Kimberley Chambers The six-figure deal with Tim Bates at Pollinger Ltd will see HC publishing Chambers until 2020. Young said: "Kimberley Chambers is a legend as are her... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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