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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Scout Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster US, will publish the debut short story collection of Kristen Roupenian, the author of "Cat Person" in America. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Following her viral short story hit, Kristen Roupenian’s You Know You Want This has been sold to Cape in the UK, with the US auction said to be topping $1mKristen Roupenian, whose short story about a relationship turned sour, Cat Person, set the internet on fire last week, has sold her debut... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Lucy Foley has signed a "strong six-figure deal" for her first crime novel and one other book with HarperCollins. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Gill Books has struck a six-figure two-book deal with journalists Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen to continue their series about stereotypical Irish girl Aisling, hailed as Ireland's answer to Bridget Jones. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen sign two-book deal to follow their breakout debut, Oh My God, What a Complete AislingTwo friends whose novel about a “complete Aisling” is being hailed as the Irish answer to Bridget Jones have landed a six-figure two-book deal.Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-12-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Orion author Liz Fenwick is moving to HQ, HarperCollins, in a six-figure, three-book deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-11-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Intisar Khanani has signed a two-book contract for her originally self-published YA fantasy, 'Thorn,' and a new companion novel. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Literary agent Sam Copeland has scooped a three-book deal for six figures with Puffin for his debut middle grade series Charlie Changes Into a Chicken. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Titan Books has acquired four new titles by American fantasy author V.E. Schwab in a six-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Two Roads has acquired Two Steps Forward, a novel from husband-and-wife team Graeme Simsion, debut author of The Rosie Project (Penguin) and Anne Buist. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sphere has won an auction for debut thriller writer Vanessa Savage in a six-figure deal for two books. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There's nothing quite like having a book literally come to life in the palm of your hands. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2017-06-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bonnier Zaffre has poached author Wilbur Smith from HarperCollins in an eight-figure sterling deal, described as "one of the biggest in publishing history" by Bonnier Publishing group chief executive Richard Johnson. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Simon & Schuster has snapped up two novels from Louise Candlish, previously published by Penguin and Little, Brown, in a six-figure deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HQ is to publish BOSH! The Cookbook by Sheffield school friends Henry Firth and Ian Theasby in a "major" six-figure deal following a "hotly-contested" eight-publisher auction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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HarperCollins has pre-empted a two book deal for Possession, a psychological thriller by J L Butler, for six figures. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Macmillan Children’s Books has secured fantasy trilogy Children of Blood and Bone by debut writer Tomi Adeyemi in a "hotly contested" six-figure auction. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Margot Lee Shetterly, whose 2016 nonfiction bestseller 'Hidden Figures' served as the basis for the unexpected box office smash of the same name, is currently taking meetings with the major publishers. Some insiders guessed that this new work could fetch well into seven figures. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Usborne editorial director Fiona Watt is one of the biggest-selling authors since records began and she’s probably the most ubiquitous author you’ve never heard of. But, as she tells Tom Tivnan, that’s exactly how she likes it—and a veil of anonymity has its advantages when it comes to book-fair... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-03-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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As Frank Lampard, George Galloway and Cara Delevingne land big-money book deals, established writers look on from the fringes – or turn away altogether Another day, another celebrity announces they are to “pen” a children’s book. Already this week, Jamie Lee Curtis has announced a... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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