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 ]
News tagged with: #debut children #fantasy series #bloodthirsty unicorns #annabel steadman #unicorn thief #film rights #first-time author #simon schuster #debut author

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Story of ‘bloodthirsty unicorns’ brings debut author record publishing deal'


Amazon Tries to Drive Wedge Between Hachette and Its Authors

Amazon.com Inc. is offering authors caught up in its dispute with Hachette Book Group all proceeds from the sale of any digital book, seeking to bypass the publisher and appeal directly to writers.Amazon sent a letter to authors, including Douglas Preston, proposing to extract them from the spat... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #digital book #appeal directly #ebook revenue #greater share #forrester research


Distribution: Authors Sign with INscribe

Nine romance writers are distributing an anthology of short stories, "Naught Nine," through INscribe Digital. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #inscribe digital #authors sign #romance writers #short stories


Authors choose sides in the duel between Amazon and Hachette

Some 'old guard' authors are joining forces in a letter criticizing Amazon, even as a cluster of self-published authors is rallying around Amazon, charging that traditional publishers like Hachette mistreat authors and readers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #self-published authors #joining forces #traditional publishers


Fourth Estate signs debut from The Book People's Glaister

Fourth Estate has signed a debut novel from the c.e.o. of The Book People, Seni Glaister. Clare... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #seni glaister #book people #fourth estate


Authors choose sides in the duel between Amazon and Hachette (+video)

Some 'old guard' authors are joining forces in a letter criticizing Amazon, even as a cluster of self-published authors is rallying around Amazon, charging that traditional publishers like Hachette mistreat authors and readers. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #self-published authors #joining forces #traditional publishers


Rowling writes story about 30-plus Harry Potter

J K Rowling has written a new piece about a thirty-something Harry Potter and his friends at the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #harry potter


HC steps up Christian publishing in UK

HarperCollins is stepping up its Christian publishing in the UK, using its acquisition of Thomas... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #christian publishing


Typical author earnings 'dropped to £11,000 in 2013'

The typical income for a professional author in 2013 was just £11,000, more than £5,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


How Publishers Can Take Back Control of Their Consumer Data

You've built and furnished a home. You regularly tweak and maintain the property so your equity grows. But when you're away, strangers gain access. They sell your appliances, plumbing fixtures and furniture and when you return, it's clear the value you've worked so hard to attain has... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ve worked


Jerome made non-fiction publisher at HC

Natalie Jerome has been promoted to non-fiction publisher at HarperCollins, taking on the role... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #natalie jerome #non-fiction publisher


Gallery Books in Deal with Omnific

Simon & Schuster’s Gallery Books division has entered into a co-publishing agreement with Omnific Publishing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #gallery books #simon schuster #co-publishing agreement


PW Talks with Gustav Niebuhr: The Story of an Unknown Hero

In his new book, 'Lincoln's Bishop,' former New York Times religion correspondent Gustav Niebuhr tells the compelling tale of Henry Benjamin Whipple, who spoke out loudly against injustice toward Native Americans during the 19th century. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #native americans #19th century


Chipping Norton festival offers profit share to authors

Chipping Norton Literary Festival is to split its profits with authors in lieu of paying... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Meet Matthias Döpfner, the German publisher taking the fight to Google

The CEO of Germany's largest newspaper group is one of the few powerful figures speaking out about the web giantMatthias Döpfner is a man on a mission. The motives behind the mission need to be scrutinised, but when so many of old media's authority figures seem at sea in a changing environment,... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Five Questions for business author Richie Frieman

Business author says bad manners can tank your careerBusiness author Richie Frieman has studied fine arts at the University of Maryland, launched a music-focused Internet magazine, written children's books, invented a device that keeps shirt collars crisp and created a pop culture-inspired... Continue reading at Baltimore Sun

[ Baltimore Sun | 2014-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Amazon speaks – finally – about its dispute with publisher Hachette

Amazon senior vice president of Kindle content Russ Grandinetti told The Wall Street Journal that Amazon is acting 'in the long term interest of our customers.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon speaks #publisher hachette


Authors taking sides in Amazon-Hachette dispute

One one side are established authors including Stephen King, John Grisham and James Patterson. On the other side are self-published authors. They're taking sides in the weeks-old dispute between Amazon.com Inc. and Hachette Book Group. King, Grisham and Patterson have signed their names to a... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2014-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #amazon-hachette dispute #john grisham #james patterson #self-published authors #taking sides


Award-winning children's author Walter Dean Myers dies

Myers, author of such books as 'Hoops' and 'Monster,' recently published an essay lamenting what he saw as a lack of diverse characters in children's literature. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #award-winning children #recently published #diverse characters


Cleave: 'authors mustn't be selfish'

Novelist Chris Cleave has called on his fellow authors to exercise a "profound attitude... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fellow authors


Authors Pen Open Letter to Amazon About Hachette Dispute

Two weeks ago bestselling author Douglas Preston began quietly circulating a letter to other writers that encourages readers to write to Amazon CEO and founder Jeff Bezos. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hachette dispute #encourages readers