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 ]
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She wrote the novel entirely on her iPhone, and now it's being read by millions. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2019-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Puffin, a division of Penguin Random House (PRH) Children’s, has acquired the debut fiction trilogy by illustrator Jamie Littler in a six-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jarrett Krosoczka’s recent memoir is about growing up with a parent struggling with addiction. But its messages for young people focus on resiliency and giving thanks. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2018-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After a decade's publishing with Orion, Linwood Barclay is moving to HQ, HarperCollins, in a new three-book, seven-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK rights in the first book by Netflix c.e.o. and co-founder Reed Hastings have gone to Ebury for a high six-figure advance following a multi-publisher auction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Head of Zeus has signed a "brilliant and terrifying tale of mystery and imagination" by Michelle Paver for six figures. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Society of Authors (SoA) and the Authors Licensing and Collection Society (ALCS) have written an open letter taking issue with the Publishers Association’s questioning of figures unveiled in a recent survey showing writers’ earnings have fallen by 15% in four years, calling them... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orion has pre-empted an "uplit" debut from Headline non-fiction editor Richard Roper in a "major" six-figure deal within 48 hours of submission. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An American debut author has secured a £1.5m advance for her "sensational" historical novel, with Hutchinson winning the UK rights after a 12-publisher auction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-06-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Journalist Matt Cain’s novel, one of the fastest-funded in Unbound’s history, has won a six-figure film deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster UK has signed a six-figure deal for two new novels from Catherine Isaac, with the first novel, A Blanket of Stars, scheduled for first publication in summer 2019. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Members of the book trade are supporting author Charles Sprawson with a fundraising iniative to raise money for care fees, as Vintage prepares to reissue his “cult swimming classic” Haunts of the Black Masseur. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Macmillan has acquired a further three titles in Peter James’ Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series in a seven-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperVoyager and Del Rey Books have signed for a fantasy trilogy from Demon Cycle author Peter V Brett in a "high six-figure" deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-04-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin Random House Children’s has acquired the UK and Commonwealth rights to Full Disclosure, a “powerful” YA novel by 18-year-old debut author Camryn Garrett. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Delacorte Press has pre-empted a débutant’s YA fantasy trilogy, inspired by the author’s experience growing up in Sierra Leone during the civil war, for a “significant six-figure” sum. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Head of Zeus imprint Aria Fiction has signed a four-book deal with Rachel Brimble for her series of novels set in a department store in Bath. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oneworld's literary crime imprint Point Blank has acquired three more titles in Will Dean's Tuva Moodyson series for six-figures in a "substantial" deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi's debut novel was initially rejected by British publishers. Continue reading at BBC News
[ BBC News | 2018-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HQ has bought a "powerful feminist dystopia" by linguistics academic Christina Dalcher, billed as "The Handmaid’s Tale meets The Power", in a six-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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