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 ]
K-pop has become an undeniable force, but what’s behind those sticky tracks and intricate dance moves? Author Stephan Lee gives a peek behind the curtain. For many Western audiences, their first taste of K-pop’s impact came in 2012 when Psy’s video “Gangnam Style” went viral.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2020-09-19 07:00:56 UTC ]
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Annabel Steadman’s fantasy series Skandar and the Unicorn Thief has won a seven-figure book contract, with film rights also sold to Sony PicturesA 28-year-old first-time author from Canterbury has landed what is believed to be the world’s largest ever book advance for a debut children’s writer,... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-09-16 13:34:54 UTC ]
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Bolinda has scooped a “laugh out loud” romantic comedy by debut author Aly Mennuti, featuring a literary agent based partly on the author's own, Simon Trewin. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-25 02:20:12 UTC ]
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Greystone Books is to partner with William Collins on two forthcoming non-fiction titles by Peter Wohllebe, author of The Hidden Life of Trees, with William Collins buying paperback rights in a six-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-08-17 19:07:12 UTC ]
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Ashley Hickson-Lovence, Abir Mukherjee, Courttia Newland, Guy Gunaratne, Paul Mendez and Okechukwu Nzelu on why British writers of colour are left out of the conversationAfter this week’s Booker prize longlist was announced, the Times asked “Where are the new male hotshot novelists?” I was... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-07-31 14:10:18 UTC ]
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The Borough Press has pre-empted “multigenerational epic” One Blood from author—and Simon & Schuster US editor—Denene Millner, in a six-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-24 10:16:26 UTC ]
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‘The Kissing Booth’ started as an online novel and blew up into one of Netflix’s most popular films. Here’s why author Beth Reekles thinks that is. Back when she was just 15, Beth Reekles couldn’t find the kind of YA novel that appealed to her.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2020-07-24 06:00:21 UTC ]
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Sony Pictures has bought the film rights to Kevin Kwan's new novel Sex and Vanity (Hutchinson). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-12 16:38:32 UTC ]
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Describe your role. I’m a literary agent and book to screen agent at The Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV & Film Agency. I enjoy the best of both worlds—I’m a primary agent to an amazing roster of writers, selling book rights to the UK, US and Canada, plus I handle the adaptation rights for... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-07-10 08:20:11 UTC ]
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Film4 has acquired TV and film rights to Lynda Clark's sci-fi novel, Beyond Kidding, published by Fairlight Books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-29 14:42:54 UTC ]
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Literary agent Felicity Bryan has died, aged 74. She died on Sunday (June 21st) at her home in Kidlington "as she had wished", according to a statement from her family. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-22 06:13:43 UTC ]
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Felicity Bryan, founder of Felicity Bryan Associates and one of Britain’s most respected literary agents, died June 21 of cancer. She was 74. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Michael Joseph has acquired The Downfall and a second novel, Eden Lost, by debut author Laure Van Rensburg in a six-figure deal after a six-way auction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-21 20:13:47 UTC ]
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Responding to the newly formed Black Writers’ Guild, all five of the biggest publishers say they will make more room for black authors and staffThe “big five” UK publishing houses have separately acknowledged that “change is not happening fast enough” and that they must do a lot more to address... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-06-17 12:45:22 UTC ]
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It was Sunday 22nd March when I emailed Carrie, my literary agent, telling her I’d had an idea in the bath and although it felt far-fetched, I wanted to explore it and could she please call me on Monday for a quick chat. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-12 11:19:54 UTC ]
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As Black Lives Matter protests take place across the world, the publishing world is rushing to support those ‘ignored by the mainstream’. Who is the mainstream, then?The publishing industry is stilted and archaic. I worked in it for seven years, and left due to reasons I can’t legally talk... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-06-11 09:44:22 UTC ]
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Zondervan takes a gift book on ‘How Far You Have Come,’ literary agent Blythe Daniel gets her own book deal, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Pan Macmillan has landed Kristin Hannah's new novel in a six-figure deal ahead of the Netflix series of her book Firefly Lane (Pan). Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-26 08:06:35 UTC ]
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TV and film rights in Manda Scott's historical thriller A Treachery of Spies have sold to London-based production outfits Beaglepug Films and Enriched Media Group. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-05-19 05:02:51 UTC ]
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Answer these ten TWILIGHT quiiz questions to find out which character from Stephenie Meyer's YA novel you are most similar to. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-05-18 10:34:32 UTC ]
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