Story of ‘bloodthirsty unicorns’ brings debut author record publishing deal

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, with a fantasy series about “bloodthirsty unicorns”.Annabel Steadman, writing as AF Steadman, was paid a “major” seven-figure sum by Simon & Schuster this week, following a hotly contested multi-publisher auction for three books in her fantasy adventure series for children, Skandar and the Unicorn Thief. Set in a world where unicorns are deadly, and can only be tamed by the rider who hatches them, the series follows Skandar Smith, who is preparing to become a unicorn rider. When the most powerful unicorn in the world is stolen by a mysterious figure, becoming a rider becomes a lot more complicated than Skandar ancitipated. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-09-16 13:34:54 UTC ]

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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 ]
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Horobin to join Bonnier Publishing Fiction

James Horobin, previously group sales, marketing and publicity director at Simon & Schuster, is to join the recently launched Bonnier Publishing Fiction division as executive director with responsibility for sales and marketing. Horobin, who left S&S last month, will take up his new... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tasker to Join Readerlink

Tasker, who has held positions at Simon & Schuster and Scholastic, most recently served as v-p, product development at Disney Publishing Worldwide. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon and HarperCollins renew friendship with multi-year contract

Amazon started mending its tattered relationship with the big five publishers last year, signing deals with Macmillan, Simon & Schuster and even Hachette. Now it's HarperCollins' turn to make peace with the e-commerce giant, according to The Wall Str... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Headey buys film rights for 'H is for Hawk'

Film rights for Helen Macdonald’s H is for Hawk (Jonathan Cape) have been acquired by actress Lena Headey, who stars in the hugely successful television series “Game of Thrones”.   The deal was brokered by Emily Hayward-Whitlock at Knight Hall Agency Ltd on behalf of Jessica Woollard at The... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S change sales and children's staff

Simon & Schuster has promoted Gill Richardson to the role of sales director, as Elv Moody steps down from the position of editorial director of children's fiction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oyster launches ebook store

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-04-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Surprise Project Becomes S&S Big London Book

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S signs Sitwell

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Debut author organises own £200k marketing campaign

A debut author has arranged a marketing and publicity campaign she estimates is worth £200,000 to support the release of her book, and which her agent said “must be unique for a first-time author”. Janet Kelly’s Dear Beneficiary, about an older woman who has a relationship with a Nigerian man... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A second Zoella novel is coming in November

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[ The Guardian | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Seafaring cat tale to S&S

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New Allende novel to S&S

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Horobin to leave Simon & Schuster

Simon & Schuster’s group sales, marketing and publicity director James Horobin is to leave the company at the end of this week. The publisher said Horobin, who joined the company in 2010, intended to “seek challenges in his career outside of Simon & Schuster.” His departure is the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Puffin, Pan Mac and PRH win Marketing Society prizes

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Roberts joins HC Children’s as art director

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S Heads Back to Press on Carr's 'Night of the Gun'

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Murdered Lee Rigby's mother signs book deal

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hegarty's 'Darkmouth' gets film deal

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[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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