The
New York Times
Best-Sellers List
Internet for New Authors:
Slow, Painful Death
With the right amount of money and hyperbole, you can still drive
nearly any dead horse into the pop charts. Ask American Idol's Simon Cowell.
He's made a career of it.
Enter the Internet. With nearly every band holding a presence on
MySpace and YouTube, it's a snap for most performers to reach a global
online audience, even without the benefit of a major record label backing
them up.
Of course, the numbers for self-promoters via the Internet are
miniscule compared to what they could well be once a major player steps
into the scene. And those who do make a self-generating splash in
cyberspace are nearly always plucked away by the Bigs. But there's
no denying that the number of bands reaching their intended audience has
never been greater.
And you would think that the same thing is true in publishing, where
writers of any talent and ilk can easily create a Website or a blog and
obtain instant notoriety, if not outright fame. Belle de Jour began
her professional career as a high-class call girl on the blogs, and Judith
O'Reilly received a £70,000 advance from Viking for her six-week-old blog
about moving to the countryside. Adding to the allure of instant
Weboriety is publication next month of blogger Catherine Townsend's
Sleeping Around: Secrets of a Sexual Adventuress.
But unfortunately, for every one of these cyber-space successes, there
are tons of outright failures. Check out the New York Times'
Review of Books or the Boston Herald's best-seller list, and
you'll find the same old names dominating the literary landscape.
Literary fiction still belongs to the Ian McEwans, Zadie Smiths, Graham
Swifts, and Sebastian Faulkses of the world. Crime and thrillers
still fall to the likes of Ian Rankin, P.D. James, Michael Connelly, and
Tom Clancy. Worse still, nonfiction goes to any celebrity or
politician ambitious (or callous) enough to write-and-tell and then talk
some publisher into overpaying for rights to the memoir.
The problem is not necessarily that publishers are notoriously
resistant to change, which they are, or even that new technology lags far
behind that of the media arts, which it does. The problem is that,
unlike the recording industry and its new stars,
publishers believe it's more difficult, time-consuming, and thus costly to
break out a new literary star than it is to rely on the same old names.
There are exceptions, of course, but they're called exceptions for a good
reason.
By and large, the Internet and digital science are far less
user-friendly for writers who want to make money from writing than to
other artists. Musicians can give away a few free downloads on their
Websites and still increase revenues by using them as a
promotional ploy for plugging their albums and live performances, an
advantage over writers that no one can deny.
In writing, when something appears on a Website, it loses virtually all
of its inherent financial value. Book readings and signings are
hardly major revenue streams, and even the best known authors often find
their personal appearances turn out to be little more than a dog-and-pony show.
Add to that the fact that e-paper is still a rich-man's toy, and you begin
to see the problem. And
putting a couple of chapters on a Website as an enticement to buy a book
only works if there's already a major book deal in place with a major
publisher. Which begs the question: which comes first, the chicken
or the chicken?
Alas, even self-publishing via POD can't step in and come to the
rescue, as hopeful writers once had dramed; for, even with a book
firmly in hand, writers are beginning to realize that, without the major
promotional funding available to them from the Bantams and Penguin-Putnams of
the world, POD boils down to little more than an exercise in
futility...and vanity.
Is there hope for change in the future? Of course. Hope
doth spring eternal, after all, more so in writers, apparently, than in
most. Given a breakthrough technology in e-book development, a more
friendly interface with readers, and a less costly means of reaching the
masses with their properties, writers may well be able to rake in those big sales numbers
in the near future, even
without the support of Publisher's Row.
But for now, it's business as usual and half-speed ahead.
Foreman Book
Cries Foul!
According to his new memoir, God in My Corner, former
heavyweight champion George Foreman claims that he was secretly drugged
prior to his heavyweight title fight against Muhammed Ali in the
Democratic Republic of Congo (then known as Zaire). The ex-champ says that
he was given a cup of funny-tasting water right before the start of the
fight.
"I almost spit it out ... Man, I know this water has medicine in it,"
Foreman told his trainer at the time, according to his book. "I climbed
into the ring with that medicinal taste still lingering in my mouth ...
After the third round, I was as tired as if I had fought 15 rounds. What's
going on here? Did someone slip a drug in my water?"
Foreman's trainer has denied the water had anything in it. Ali's
trainer, Angelo Dundee, has since died.
Ali won the fight with an eighth-round knockout.
Now THAT'S Taking
Things Slowly
Nearly 40 years after its original publication, Tom Wolfe's
hallucinogenic tome, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, is headed for
the bigscreen.
Gus Van Sant is attached to direct, and Lance Black (Big Love)
will write the script. FilmColony's Richard Gladstein is producing, and
he's in the process of setting the project with a financier.
The book told the story of a cross-country road trip that One Flew
Over the Cuckoo's Nest author Ken Kesey orchestrated with a group
called the Merry Pranksters. Driving in a psychedelically painted bus from
California to visit the World's Fair in New York in 1964, Kesey and his
band used the trip as a way to turn on those they met to the
mind-expanding wonders of LSD.
Kesey ingested the drug while he wrote Cuckoo's Nest, crediting
the hallucinogen for many of the ideas in the book. -
More
More Reviews
Going On-Line
The Rocky
Mountain News offers its annual summer reading issue, filled with great
books that are sure to please a wide variety of readers. You'll find
titles by high profile authors, as well as those from first-time writers -
enough to keep you entrenched in that beach chair from now till next
summer, no doubt.
Rocky critics have worked hard to let you in on their favorite reads so
far this year. But even with our expansive list, I was reminded while
putting it together that there are many titles worthy of your attention
that we simply didn't have space to mention.
With that in mind, this seems like a good time to remind you of one of
the best features Rocky Books offers: our online reviews of unforgettable
debut novels .
Each month, I forward a stack of first-time novels we don't have room
to review in print to critics who volunteer to screen them. Their marching
orders are simple: Read and discard those that aren't top-notch. When
something special turns up, write a brief review to be posted online.
So far this year, our critics have found ten awesome titles - books as
varied as a British hip-hop retelling of Hamlet and a historical novel
involving Sir Thomas More. Our readers will keep searching, and the list
will continue to grow all year long. You can find these titles by going to
RockyMountainNews.com, then clicking on "Spotlight," then "Books."
-
More
USA Today Joins
World of Books
The McLean-based mega-media corporation, Gannett Co. Inc. (NYSE: GCI),
announced recently that it has signed licensing deals with six publishers
to extend the USA Today brand to books. Current plans for new
publications include a series of books on business and legal issues, a
hardcover year-in-review sports book, crossword and Sudoku puzzle books,
and calendars.
All of the books will include graphics and content from USA Today
the national newspaper.
The newspaper has hired Nancy Bailey & Associates, a corporate
brand-licensing agency whose clients include Coppertone and Reynolds, to
develop products around the USA Today brand.
In addition, USA Today which will mark its 25th anniversary this
fall, has announced plans to publish a hardcover book entitled 25 Years
of USA Today. The publication date, scheduled sometime for 2007, will
be announced.
Top Summer Reads
From Salon Magazine
Every June brings the tantalizing conundrum: what books to drip
lemonade on this summer? At the start of the season, we imagine the weeks
stretching languorously in front of us, and what could be better than to
pass our days lounging at the beach, in the yard or at the pool with the
perfect page-turner?
But what constitutes a great summer read? Every airport newsstand is
teeming with generic potboilers and steamy tales of love lost and found.
The real trick is scoring a book that engages your imagination just
enough, but not so much that your brain's gears start to grind.
Over the next four weeks, Salon's staff will recommend a list of summer
reads that won't make you feel cheap and empty. (Or maybe they will, in
the best possible way.) In the coming weeks we'll spotlight a choice
selection of mysteries, ch**k lit, fantasy, sports and memoirs.
This week's list is killer thrillers: the quest for a lost Shakespeare
manuscript, the case of a missing girl's mysterious return, a dying man's
search for the truth about his ex-wife, an Australian detective whose time
off turns grisly, and the mystery of a tattooed corpse. We hope these add
sizzle to your long, sultry summer. -
More
Bits & Bytes
FICTION
Debut
John Pipkin's WOODSBURNER chronicles the lives of a lovesick Norwegian
immigrant farm hand, a struggling bookseller, a fire and brimstone
preacher, and a pencil maker named Henry David Thoreau as their stories
intersect over a fire Thoreau accidentally set which burned 800 acres near
Walden Pond, to Janet Silver at Houghton Mifflin, in a good deal, in a
pre-empt, by Marly Rusoff at Marly Rusoff & Associates (NA).
Toni Jordan's ADDITION, a humorous and moving love story about a young
woman struggling to balance romance, family and a compulsive counting
disorder, to Marjorie Braman at William Morrow, in a pre-empt, by Kimberly
Witherspoon and David Forrer at Inkwell Management, on behalf of Text
Publishing (NA).
Isla Morley's debut novel COME SUNDAY, set in pre- and post-Apartheid
South Africa and in Honolulu, is a story about what happens to a woman and
her husband after their three-year old daughter dies in a tragic accident,
and particularly how the woman tries to both escape and come to terms with
her grief, to Sarah Crichton at Sarah Crichton Books/FSG, by Emma Sweeney
at the Emma Sweeney Agency (NA).
Professor of history at Brandeis Jane Kamensky and professor of history at
Harvard University Jill Lepore's BLINDSPOT, an erotic romp about a fallen
woman who disguises herself as a boy to serve as the apprentice to a
portrait painter in Boston as the American Revolution is waged, to Cindy
Spiegel at Spiegel & Grau, at auction, by Tina Bennett at Janklow & Nesbit
(NA).
Nafisa Haji's THE WRITING ON MY FOREHEAD, the story of a free-spirited and
rebellious Muslim-American of Indo-Pakistani descent who finds herself
caught in a struggle between her family's traditions and her desire for
independence, to Laurie Chittenden at William Morrow, by BJ Robbins at BJ
Robbins Literary Agency (World).
BJRagency@aol.com
Juliette.Shapland@harpercollins.com
Playwright, poet, essayist and screenwriter Marisha Chamberlain's THE ROSE
VARIATIONS, about a twenty-five-year-old woman who moves to a temporary
professorship in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she struggles to figure out
what would make her happy, getting mixed up along the way with many
short-lived love affairs, to Katie Herman at Soho Press, for publication
in fall 2008, by Stephany Evans at FinePrint Literary Management (world).
Debbie Fuller Thomas's TUESDAY NIGHT AT THE BLUE MOON, a story of
restoration between a grieving mother and a child switched at birth, to
Andy McGuire at Moody, for publication in spring 2008, by Wendy Lawton at
Books & Such Literary Agency.
Golden Keyes Parsons's historical series about a Huguenot family who face
devastating persecution for their faith in Louis XV's France, to Natalie
Hanemann at Thomas Nelson, in a four-book deal, by Mary Beth Chappell at
Zachary Shuster Harmsworth Literary Agency (World).
Broadway producer Todd Johnson's THE MEASURE OF BRIGHTNESS, the story of
four southern women of different ages and from very different backgrounds
whose lives come together in a journey of courage, hope and humor, to
Marjorie Braman at William Morrow, for publication in spring 2009, by
Wendy Sherman at Wendy Sherman Associates (NA).
Mystery/Crime
Tasha Alexander's TEARS OF PEARL, taking continuing heroine Lady Emily
to Ottoman Constantinople where her visit is interrupted by the slaying of
one of the sultan's harem girls, plunging her investigation into an alien
world of luxury and deadly intrigue, to Andrew Martin and Charles Spicer
at Minotaur, in a pre-empt, for two books, by Anne Hawkins at John Hawkins
& Associates (world).
ahawkins@jhalit.com
Author of THE WAR AGAINST MISS WINTER Kathryn Haines's two more World War
II novels, to Sarah Durand at Harper, in a nice deal, for publication in
May 2008 and May 2009, by Paul Fedorko at Trident Media Group (world).
BODY COUNT author P.D. Martin's next two thrillers once again featuring a
psychic FBI investigator, to Linda McFall at Mira, for publication in 2008
and 2010, by Elaine Koster at Elaine Koster Agency (World).
Rebecca Cantrell's EVEN SMOKE LEAVES A TRACE, about an undercover crime
reporter in Berlin in 1931 who discovers her brother's murder and resolves
to find the killer, sparking a series of discoveries that lead her from
the city's dark underbelly to the upper ranks of the rising Nazi party, to
Kristin Sevick at Tor/Forge, in a nice deal, plus a sequel, for
publication in July 2009, by Elizabeth Evans at Reece Halsey North (NA).
Boris Riskin's DEADLY BONES, a sequel to Scrambled Eggs, a Jake Wanderman
mystery, to John Helfers at Five Star, in a nice deal, for publication in
November 2008.
Rriskin@aol.com
Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Fred Saberhagen's THE SABERHAGEN RETROSPECTIVE, a sampling of the late
author's eclectic fiction (from his vampire stories to Berserker sf to
alternate histories), collected by his widow Joan Saberhagen, to Toni
Weisskopf at Baen Books, in a nice deal, by Eleanor Wood at Spectrum
Literary Agency (NA).
Author of Magic Lost, Trouble Found Lisa Shearin's next two in the Raine
Benares series, again to Anne Sowards at Ace, by Kristin Nelson at Nelson
Literary Agency (NA).
knelson@nelsonagency.com
Translation:
wlee@fieldingagency.com
Ann Aguirre's GOOD TOUCH plus two sequels in a new urban fantasy series
featuring an on-the-run woman whose ability to "read" objects with her
touch pulls her into an underground world of gifteds, where the bad guys
are just as likely to hire a warlock as a hitman to even the score, to
Anne Sowards at Ace, in a nice deal, by Laura Bradford at Bradford
Literary Agency.
Thriller
Chris Kuzneski's next two international thrillers, THE LOST THRONE and
THE PROPHECY, to Natalee Rosenstein at Putnam, in a significant deal, by
Scott Miller at Trident Media Group (NA).
NYT bestselling author and editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan, Kate White's
three new thrillers, the first a stand-alone set in New York with a new
lead character, moving to Kathy Schneider at Harper, with Marjorie Braman
editing, for publication beginning in 2009, by Sandra Dijkstra of the
Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency (world English).
Vienna historian J. Sydney Jones's THE EMPTY MIRROR, the first in series
of historical thrillers in which the painter Gustav Klimt is fingered as
the murderer of five young Viennese girls, but attorney Werthen and
criminologist Gross soon discover that the trail actually leads directly
to the gates of the Hofberg itself, to Thomas Dunne at Thomas Dunne Books,
for publication in Fall 2008, in a two-book deal, by Alexandra Machinist
at the Linda Chester Literary Agency (world).
Darren Dillman's THE PREACHER, in which a new preacher re-energizes a
sleepy, little Baptist church, but as the bizarre incidences and violent
deaths begin to mount, it becomes apparent that there's more to this
preacher than meets the eye, to John Blase at David C. Cook, in a two-book
deal, by Greg Daniel at Daniel Literary Group (World).
Women's/Romance
Sally Koslow's THE LATE, LAMENTED MOLLY MARX, a humorous but affecting
story of a young mother who dies under mysterious circumstances, but
narrates from above the events following her death as she makes sense of
her formerly messy life, learns the truth about her death, and makes sure
that their three year old daughter will be well cared for by her
serial-philandering husband, plus THE SCHADENFREUDE CLUB, to Laura Ford at
Ballantine, in a good deal, by Christy Fletcher at Fletcher & Parry (world
English).
Anya Bast, Jodi Lynn Copeland, Lauren Dane & Kit Tunstall's WHAT HAPPENS
IN VEGAS: Close Encounters, a follow up erotic romance anthology featuring
four connected novellas, this time in Sin City's paranormal dark side, to
Susan Pezzack at Harlequin Spice, in a nice deal, by Laura Bradford at
Bradford Literary Agency.
Cynthia Hickey's FUDGE-LACED FELONIES, the first in her "Summer Meadows
Mystery Series," following a woman as she makes chocolates for her new
candy store when she isn't hunting a diamond thief and killer, and even
more dangerous, trying to forget her attraction to a handsome preacher
she's known since childhood, to Susan Downs at Heartsong Presents:
Mysteries!, for a June 2008 release, by Kelly Mortimer at Mortimer
Literary Agency.
Author of ODD MOM OUT and FLIRTING WITH FORTY, Jane Porter's two novels,
both concerning the plights of the contemporary woman, again to Karen
Kosztolnyik at 5 Spot, in a good deal, by Karen Solem at Spencerhill
Associates (world).
Sarah McCarty's two more books in her Hell's Eight series, to Susan
Pezzack for Harlequin Spice, by Roberta Brown of the Brown Literary Agency
(world).
Vonna Harper's HAWK'S TALONS plus two more erotic romances and a novella,
again to Audrey LaFehr at Kensington Aphrodisia, in a nice deal, by Laura
Bradford at Bradford Literary Agency.
Calista Fox's ONE WISH and HIGH VOLTAGE, Two new paranormal erotic
romances, to Felecia Mills at Red Sage, for publication in 2007.
Emily Gee's WITCH-EYE, her second romantic fantasy novel, in which things
are not what they seem as a prim courtier and her wastrel lover meet and
plot as spies in the catacombs of Corhona Castle, to Christian Dunn of
Solaris, by Richard Curtis of Richard Curtis Associates (world English).
rcurtis@curtisagency.com
Translation rights: barorint@aol.com
General/Other
Lynne Griffin's debut novel LIFE WITHOUT SUMMER, in which a mother who
has just lost her four year old daughter in a hit and run and the grief
counselor who helps her try to put her life back together discover that
their lives intersect more powerfully than they ever imagined, to Hilary
Rubin Teeman at St. Martin's, in a pre-empt, by Elisabeth Weed at Weed
Literary (world).
Biyi Bandele's BURMA BOY, about a hapless, naive 14-year-old who fights
for the British in Burma during WWII, to Dawn Davis at Amistad, by Erin
Edmison at PFD New York, on behalf of Simon Trewin at PFD (NA).
eedmison@pfdny.com
Juli Zeh's SCHILF, to Lorna Owen at Nan A. Talese, and to Harvill Secker
in the UK, by Kathrin Scheel at Schoffling.
Rights sold previously to Ambo Anthos in Holland; Weyler in Sweden; and
Actes Sud in France.
kathrin.scheel@schoeffling.de
Ariana Franklin's GRAVE GOODS, a third novel in the Adelia Aguilar series
about a female medical examiner in 12th century England, to Rachel Kahan
at Putnam, for publication in 2009, by Helen Heller at Helen Heller Agency
(US).
Children's: Fantasy
Lesley Livingston's debut WONDROUS STRANGE, an urban fantasy that
weaves elements of A Midsummer Night's Dream together with teen romance
and chilling adventure that erupts when dangerous faeries invade the human
world through a gate in Central Park, to Laura Arnold at Harper
Children's, in a two-book deal, by Jessica Regel at the Jean V. Naggar
Literary Agency.
Children's: Middle grade
Robert Paul Weston's ZORGAMAZOO, a debut novel in rhyme, about a young
runaway girl and a Zorgle who set out to find and free all the missing
creatures of Zorgamazoo, to Jessica Rothenberg at Razorbill, by Jackie
Kaiser at Westwood Creative Artists (NA).
jackie@wcaltd.com
jessica.rothenberg@us.penguingroup.com
Children's: Picture book
Dahlov Ipcar's THE LITTLE FISHERMAN and MY WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS TREE,
to Dean Lunt at Islandport Press, for publication in 2008, by Edward
Necarsulmer IV and Cate Martin at McIntosh & Otis.
Children's: Young Adult
Author of the "Magic or Madness" trilogy Justine Larbalestier's THE
ULTIMATE FAIRY BOOK, set in a world where everyone has their own personal
fairy and featuring two teens who concoct a fairy-swapping scheme that
turns their world upside down, to Melanie Cecka at Bloomsbury Children's,
in a good deal, in a two-book deal, by Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg
Literary Management.
jill@grinbergliterary.com
Author of WHAT THE MOON SAW and RED GLASS, Laura Resau's book set in the
Ecuadorian Andes, explorinh the heart's definitions of home and family
through the eyes of a girl whose wanderlust-filled mother keeps them
constantly on the move, to Stephanie Lane at Delacorte, in a very nice
deal, for two books, by Erin Murphy of Erin Murphy Literary Agency.
Jan Blazanin's YA debut, CROWNING GLORY, about a teen beauty queen who is
forced to re-think self image, relinquish old relationships and forge new
ones when an unexpected turn cuts her beauty days short, to Jennifer
Heddle for MTV Books, by Rosemary Stimola at Stimola Literary Studio.
rosemary@stimolaliterarystudio.com
Greg Logsted's ALIBI JUNIOR HIGH, about a thirteen-year-old boy accustomed
to living a globetrotting James Bond lifestyle with his mysterious dad who
must learn to cope with regular school life for the first time after he's
forced into hiding when a secret mission turns bad, to Liesa Abrams at
Simon Mix, in a nice deal, by Pamela Harty of The Knight Agency.
Cheetah Girl/Dancing With the Stars contestant Sabrina Bryan and Julia
DeVillers' PRINCESS OF GOSSIP, about a high school student who gets in
over her head when she inadvertently creates the next hot gossip blog, to
Jennifer Heddle at MTV Books, for publication in fall 2008, by Mel Berger
at William Morris Agency (world).
Author of The Boys Next Door, Jennifer Echols' BOY IN BLUE, in which a
high school senior arrested for a misdemeanor is sentenced to ride along
with a rookie cop on the night shift and finds herself falling, to
Jennifer Heddle at MTV Books, in a nice deal, by Caren Johnson at Caren
Johnson Literary Agency
Paperback
Trade paperback rights for Margaret Cezair-Thompson's number one Book
Sense Pick for October, THE PIRATE'S DAUGHTER, to Jane von Mehren at
Random House, in a significant deal, by Unbridled Books.
Film
Nina Shengold's CLEARCUT, a romantic triangle set in the Pacific
Northwest backwoods of the 1970s, to Screen Siren Pictures, by Amy
Schiffman at Gersh Agency, on behalf of Phyllis Wender.
Meg Cabot's THE QUEEN OF BABBLE, QUEEN OF BABBLE IN THE BIG CITY and QUEEN
OF BABBLE GETS HITCHED, about a big city girl with a big mouth and a big
heart, optioned to Jeff Sharp Entertainment (Proof, You Can Count On Me,
Boys Don't Cry), by Bill Contardi, on behalf of Laura Langlie.
Film rights to Junot Diaz's THE BRIEF AND WONDROUS LIFE OF OSCAR WAO, to
Miramax and producer Scott Rudin.
TV
Victoria Christopher Murray's THE DIVAS, pitched as Gossips Girls
meets Dreamgirls, optioned to producers Robert Shapiro and Jerry Leider
for development as series, by Bill Contardi, on behalf of Stephanie
Lehmann at the Elaine Koster Literary Agency.
Audio
Justin Cronin's apocalyptic trilogy beginning with THE PASSAGE, to
Tara Hoffman at Random House Audio, by Alanna Ramirez on behalf of Ellen
Levine at Trident Media Group.
Inger Wolfe's THE CALLING and MURDER PLOT, to Jeff Golick at BBC
Audiobooks America, by Alanna Ramirez on behalf of Ellen Levine at Trident
Media Group.
UK
Jessie Keane's thriller WHERE THE BOYS ARE, a mixture of murder,
adultery, prostitution and dangerous love, to Wayne Brookes at Harper UK,
in a good deal, for three books, for publication in October 2008, by
Judith Murdoch at the Judith Murdoch Literary Agency (UK/Commonwealth).
James Becker's APOSTLE, a high-concept adventure thriller comprising a
scroll, an ancient chalice, two deadly men from the Vatican, and a
race-against-time to uncover the a deadly secret that will threaten the
basis of Christianity, to Selina Walker at Transworld, in a very nice
deal, in a two-book deal, for publication in July 2008, by Luigi Bonomi at
Luigi Bonomi Associates. Translation rights are with ILA.
INCENDIARY author Chris Cleave's LITTLE BEE, about a Nigerian girl who
fled to the UK after her family was killed and her village destroyed and
goes looking for the couple who saved her, to Suzie Doore at Hodder, for
six figures, in a two-book deal, for publication in August 2008, by Peter
Straus at Rogers, Coleridge & White.
Shona MacLean's THE REDEMPTION OF ALEXANDER SEATON, a historical crime
novel about faith, betrayal, witchcraft, friendship and forgiveness set in
17th century Scotland, to Jane Wood at Quercus, for publication in July
2008, by Judith Murray at Greene & Heaton.
UK journalist Marion McGilvary's debut novel, about "a woman running away
from a life-shattering decision that she made as a teenager," to Jenny
Dean at Viking UK, for publication in spring 2009, by Rosie Apponyi at
Capel & Land (UK/Commonwealth).
Foreign
Preeta Samarasan's EVENING IS THE WHOLE DAY, a family saga set in
post-Independence Malaysia, to Fourth Estate in the UK, HarperCollins
Australia, and HarperCollins India, by Isobel Dixon at Blake Friedman; to
Suma de las Letras/Alfaguara in Spain, Edicions 62 for Catalan, and to
Rocco in Brazil, by Sandra Bruna Literary Agency; to Ullstein in Germany,
by Eva Koralnik at Liepman; to Einaudi in Italy, by Marco Vigevani Agency;
to Aschehoug in Norway, and Gyldendal in Denmark, by Trine Licht at Licht
& Burr; to Arena in Holland, by Marijke Lijnkamp at Lijnkamp Literary
Agency; and to Kinneret, by the Harris/Elon Agency; all on behalf of
Ayesha Pande at Collins Literary.
ayesha@collinsliterary.com
French rights to Duane Swierczynski's THE BLONDE and THE WHEELMAN, to Les
Arenes, in a two-book deal, by Danny Baror at Baror International, on
behalf of David Hale Smith at DHS Literary.
david@dhsliterary.com
Foreign rights to Ronald Cutler's THE SECRET SCROLL, about archaeologist
who discovers a scroll written by Jesus two weeks before his crucifixion,
to Ullstein Verlag in Germany and Olma Media in Russia, for publication in
February 2008, by Danny Baror at Baror International.
Foreign rights to Garth Stein's THE ART OF RACING IN THE RAIN, to Rui
Augusto at Difusao Editorial in Portugal, at auction; Mariana Rolier at
Ediouro Publica in Brazil; Martijn David at Mouria in Holland; and Marika
Hemmel at Damm in Sweden, by Philip Sane; and JOTA Nakladatelstvi in the
Czech Republic, by Lidja Plisic at Prava & Prevodi; Ms. Shin Sunsook at
Bulgansesang in South Korea, on behalf of Folio Literary Management.
anna@annastein.com
Romanian rights to James Lee Burke's The Tin Roof Blowdown, to S.C.
Humanitas Fiction, in a nice deal, for publication in 2009, by Tamara
Vukicevic at Prava I Prevodi, on behalf of Lukas Ortiz at Philip Spitzer
Literary Agency.
lukas.ortiz@spitzeragency.com
Norwegian rights to Elif Shafak's THE BASTARD OF ISTANBUL, to Synnove
Tresselt at Anschehoug, by Michael Radulescu at Marly Rusoff & Associates.
Simplified Chinese rights to Canadian book designer C.S. Richardson's THE
END OF THE ALPHABET, to Shanghai Translation, in a nice deal, at auction,
by Gray Tan at Jia-Xi Books, on behalf of Suzanne Brandreth at the Cooke
Agency.
Simplified Chinese rights to C.S. Richardson's debut, THE END OF THE
ALPHABET, to Shanghai Translation, in a nice deal, at auction, by Gray Tan
at Jia-Xi Books on behalf of Suzanne Brandreth at the Cooke Agency.
Russian rights to Joan Schweighardt's GUDRUN'S TAPESTRY, a lone woman's
quest to destroy Attila the Hun, to Arabesque/AST, in a nice deal, for
publication in 2009, by Whitney Lee at The Fielding Agency.
Rights to Anna Godbersen's THE LUXE, to Ulpiuz-Haz in Hungary, by Andrew
Nurnberg and to Nermina in Romania, by Simona Kessler, on behalf of the
Allison Heiny at Alloy Entertainment.
aheiny@alloyentertainment.com
Nonfiction
Advice/Relationships
Dr. Linda Papadopoulos's WHAT MEN SAY, WHAT WOMEN HEAR, a practical and
informative take on male/female relationships by highly regarded
media-savvy therapist, to Patrick Price at Simon Spotlight Entertainment,
in a nice deal, for publication in summer 2008, by Paul Fedorko at Trident
Media Group (NA).
Biography
Younger brother of William F. Buckley, Jr., Reid Buckley's THE
BUCKLEYS, a look at the iconic American conservative family, to Anthony
Ziccardi for Threshold Editions, by Alex Hoyt of Alexander Hoyt
Associates.
Assistant director of the American Historical Association Noralee
Frankel's STRIPPING GYPSY: The Life of Gypsy Rose Lee, a biography of the
"intellectual stripper," also a writer, artist, political activist, and
union leader, to Nancy Toff at Oxford University Press, in a nice deal,
for publication in January 2009 (world).
Fred Basten's MAX FACTOR, a biography of the inventor of modern makeup,
Max Factor, who literally changed the faces of the world and created a
cosmetics empire, to Casey Ebro at Arcade, by Mike Hamilburg at the Mike
Hamilburg Agency (world).
Investigative journalist Matt Birkbeck's DECONSTRUCTING SAMMY, a portrait
of the sinister forces that shaped Sammy Davis Jr.'s life and the tragic
circumstances surrounding his death, based on a six-year investigation and
including newly discovered documents and photographs, to Dawn Davis at
Amistad, for publication in 2008, by Stephen Hanselman at LevelFiveMedia
(world).
Business/Investing/Finance
Tim Mooney and Robert Brinkerhoff's COURAGEOUS TRAINING, showing how
the training industry has allowed itself to accept mediocre performance
levels, and how trainers should adopt a gutsier leadership role (with all
the inherent risks) to take training beyond where it is now, to Steven
Piersanti at Berrett-Koehler, for publication in June, 2008 (world).
Henry Devries and Chris Stiehl's PAINKILLER MARKETING, how to turn
customer pain into marketing gain, to Arthur Chou at WBusiness Books, in a
nice deal, for publication in April 2008, by New Client Marketing Agency
(World).
PR@academiclearningcompany.com
Authority on non-profit management Ron Mattocks' THE ZONE OF INSOLVENCY,
How Nonprofits Avoid Hidden Liabilities & Build Financial Strength,
showing that most non-profit organizations hover in or near financial
failure, creating unrecognized liability for well-meaning but unaware
board members, to Susan McDermott at Wiley, in a nice deal, for
publication in spring 2008, by Leanne Sindell at Thought Leaders.
lsindell@thoughtleadersintl.com
Health
Founder and director of the health clinic, Women to Women, Marcelle
Pick, N.P.'s PERSONAL BEST: Connect the Dots between Women, Weight Loss
and Wellness, providing the reader with new tools for dramatic, long
lasting weight loss by addressing core imbalances, with no calorie
counting, to Patty Gift at Hay House, in a very good deal, by Stephanie
Tade of the Stephanie Tade Agency.
History/Politics/Current Affairs
NYT Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and author of bestselling LEGACY
OF ASHES: The History of the CIA, Tim Weiner's two additional books "on
the American struggle for national security in an open democracy," THE
ENEMY WITHIN: The FBI and the Search for National Security, about the
Bureau's long practice of sweeping up loyal Americans in its dragnets and
the deep disorganization within its own ranks, and THE MOST POWERFUL FORCE
ON EARTH: How the American Military Shaped the World will be a narrative
history of our armed forces and their civilian leaders since the end of
WWII, to Bob Loomis at Random House, by Kathy Robbins at The Robbins
Office (NA).
MacArthur fellow, National Magazine Award and Pulitzer-winner, and New
Yorker writer Katherine Boo's ON THE WESTERN EXPRESS, chronicling the
lives of families in a Bombay slum as they struggle to find a niche in a
fast-moving global economy, to Kate Medina at Random House, in a two-book
deal, by Amanda Urban at ICM (world).
Rights: ctisne@randomhouse.com
NPR foreign correspondent Deborah Amos' THE ROAD TO DAMASCUS, about the
millions of Iraqi refugees spilling over into neighboring countries, and
the impact this displacement will have upon the region and the world, to
Clive Priddle at Public Affairs, by Larry Weissman at Larry Weissman
Literary (world English).
Author of RED MOON RISING Matthew Brzezinski's THE MOVEMENT: A Seven Year
Underground Odyssey with the Jewish Resistance in Nazi and Soviet Occupied
Poland, a sweeping saga of survival, which goes beyond the 28 day Warsaw
uprising to tell the entire story, from the earliest Nazi invasion in 1939
through the Soviet takeover in 1946, of the heroes who directed the
remaining Polish Jews to their new homeland Eretz Israel, to John Flicker
at Bantam Dell, by Scott Waxman at Waxman Literary Agency.
Former chief congressional correspondent of Time magazine Neil MacNeil's
CALL THE ROLL: A Candid History of the United States Senate, a history of
the Senate based on fifty years of close-up observation, to Nancy Toff at
Oxford University Press, in a nice deal, for publication in January 2009.
Drum Major Institute executive director Andrea Batista Schlesinger's YOUTH
DISCONNECTED, an account of the author's own coming of age and work as
civics champion, making the case that we can build a better future for all
by guiding young people less toward the right answers and more toward
asking the right questions, to Johanna Vondeling at Berrett-Koehler
(World).
jvondeling@bkpub.com
How-To
Fan-favorite and finalist on season two of Project Runway, Daniel
Vosovic (aka Daniel V)'s FASHION INSIDE OUT: How Style Happens from
Inspiration to Runway and Beyond, an inside look at the creative process
of fashion, from inspiration to execution to promotion, including tips and
how-to for aspiring designers and anecdotes from his TV experience, to Joy
Aquilino at Watson-Guptill, for publication in fall 2008, by Daniel
Greenberg and Monika Verma at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency.
Humor
New York County assistant district attorney, Joel Seidemann's, GUILTY
BY REASON OF STUPIDITY, a collection of the most ridiculous court cases
and other crimes of stupidity, to Christine Schillig at Andrews McMeel, by
Richard Morris at Janklow & Nesbit.
Lifestyle
Isaac Mizrahi's HOW TO HAVE STYLE, an illustrated guide to looking
fabulous for all occasions, from the who brought high/low fashion into our
consciousness, to Lauren Marino at Gotham, by Marisa Gardini (world).
Domino magazine's THE DOMINO BOOK OF DECORATING, edited by Domino editor
in chief Deborah Needleman, creative director Sara Ruffin Costello, and
style director Dara Caponigro, offering inspiration and advice for
decorating every room of the home, with floor plans, before-and-after
shots, and a wealth of photography, to Simon & Schuster, for publication
in fall 2008, packaged by Melcher Media.
Gail Belsky's 100 THRILLS FOR WOMEN WHO NEED THEM: Lessons in Stripping,
Surfing, and Other Rut-Busting Adventures, an illustrated guide to new
adventures for women looking to shake things up and bust out of their
daily routines, with advice from experts in their field and everyday
women, to Brooke Warner at Seal Press, by Matthew Elblonk at Collins
Literary.
Memoir
Kate Brennan's pseudonymous IN HIS SIGHTS, the harrowing true story of
a woman stalked by a wealthy and ruthless ex-boyfriend that ultimately
forces her to assume a false identity and give up any semblance of a
normal life, to Jennifer Barth at Harper, in a pre-empt, by Marly Rusoff
(NA).
Army Chaplain Roger Benimoff's FAITH UNDER FIRE, with Newsweek writer Eve
Conant, a memoir centered on his struggles with his faith and
post-traumatic stress disorder during his second tour of duty in Iraq and
while working at Walter Reed Hospital after he returned home, to Mary
Choteborsky at Crown, in a pre-empt, by Alice Martell at Alice Martell
Agency.
Doreen Orion's QUEEN OF THE ROAD, the true tale of 22,000 miles, 200
shoes, two cats, a poodle, a husband and a bus -- a humorous, heart-felt
account of two married mid-40's psychiatrists who have it all until they
decide to squeeze it all into a 340-square-foot bus, taking a year-long
road trip across the country, to Stacy Creamer at Doubleday, in a
pre-empt, in a very nice deal, at Mollie Glick at Jean V. Naggar Literary
Agency.
Simon Garfield's ERROR WORLD, the author's personal examination of
obsession and desire through stamp collecting, to Rebecca Saletan at
Harcourt, by Erin Edmison at PFD New York, on behalf of Pat Kavanagh at
PFD (US).
eedmison@pfdny.com
Colonel Jack Jacob's memoir and political views, from one of the most
decorated soldiers of the Vietnam era and a member of the Council on
Foreign Relations who led Global Investment Management to $2.2 billion in
assets, co-written by Doug Century, to Natalee Rosenstein for Berkley, in
a good deal, by Frank Weimann of The Literary Group.
Charles Strouse's PUT ON A HAPPY FACE, to mark his 80th birthday, the
composer of such Broadway hits as "Annie" and "Bye, Bye Birdie" recalls
his life in the theater, to Iris Blasi at Union Square Press, in a nice
deal, for publication in June 2008, by Linda Konner at Linda Konner
Literary Agency (World English).
Stephanie Covington's NOT ALL BLACK GIRLS KNOW HOW TO EAT: A MEMOIR OF
BULIMIA, which chronicles the author's lifelong struggle with eating
disorders to her final recovery, to Susan Betz at Chicago Review Press, in
a nice deal, for publication in Summer 2009, by Jennifer de la Fuente at
Venture Literary (world).
jennifer@ventureliterary.com
Greg Garrett's continuation of his, CROSSING MYSELF, to Andrea Christian
at David Cook, in a nice deal, by Jill Grosjean at the Jill Grosjean
Literary Agency.
Narrative
Alicia Oltuski's THE MOVEMENT OF PRECIOUS OBJECTS, part immigrant tale
and part history of the diamond business and the stone itself, taking
readers on an odyssey from the origins of her family's diamond dealing in
postwar Germany to the historic diamond district on New York's 47th
street, to Alexis Gargagliano at Scribner, by Julie Barer at Barer
Literary (NA).
Micah Toub's GROWING UP JUNG: THE FAMILY PSYCHOLOGY, part coming-of-age
memoir about growing up as the son of two Jungian psychologists and part
"Psychology For Dummies", to Alane Mason at Norton, in a pre-empt; Kristin
Cochrane and Tim Rostron at Doubleday Canada, at auction, by Douglas
Stewart at Sterling Lord Literistic.
William Bryant Logan's AIR: The Exquisite Unfolding of the World, the
third volume of the trilogy that began with Dirt and Oak, a
multidisciplinary study from every point of view regarding air; physics,
biology, history, pathology, meteorology, memoir, and natural philosophy,
to Alane Mason at Norton, by Amy Hughes at McCormick & Williams Literary
Agency (world).
Rights: ekerr@wwnorton.com
Parenting
Neurologist and middle-school teacher Judy Willis's HOW YOUR CHILD
LEARNS BEST, a guide for parents that reveals scientifically savvy ways to
harness brainpower and improve their children's chances of success in
school, based on the latest brain research, to Shana Drehs at Sourcebooks,
by Nancy Love (world).
shana.drehs@sourcebooks.com
nloveag@aol.com
Sally Wendkos Olds and Laura Marks, MD's THE COMPLETE BOOK OF
BREASTFEEDING, 4th edition, the classic breastfeeding guide, which has
been in print since 1972 and has sold some 2 million copies, updated for
21st century moms, to Suzanne Rafer at Workman, in a very nice deal, for
publication in 2009, by Linda Konner at Linda Konner Literary Agency
(World).
Pop Culture
Recent Harvard grads, journalist Greg Atwan and TV writer and former
Lampoon staffer Evan Lushing's THE FACEBOOK BOOK, a funny and satirical
insider's guide to survival on the social networking site and a group
portrait of Generation Facebook, to Eric Himmel at Abrams Image, for
publication in spring 2008, by Andrew Blauner of Blauner Books Literary
Agency.
Reference
Eric Hanson's A BOOK OF AGES, an idiosyncratic miscellany of
biographical facts of the famous and infamous, including failures,
rejections, dead ends, as well as early masterpieces, second chances and
lifetime achievements, organized by ages one to one hundred, to Shaye
Areheart at Harmony, at auction, by Marly Rusoff at Marly Rusoff &
Associates (NA).
Suzanne Reisman's OFF THE BEATEN (SUBWAY) TRACK, an alternative guidebook
to all that is strange, weird and wonderful about New York City's often
overlooked museums and attractions and the sweetly deluded souls who run
them, to Ron Pitkin at Cumberland House, by Matthew Elblonk at Collins
Literary.
Elizabeth S. King's SO YOU WANT TO SCORE? THE SAT SECRETS THE COLLEGE
BOARD DOESN'T WANT YOU TO KNOW, a young dynamo who charges hundreds of
dollars an hour for tutoring, reveals how to break the code, to Aaron
Wehner at Ten Speed Press, in a nice deal, for publication in 2008, by
Jeffrey Herman at the Jeff Herman Agency (world).
Religion/Spirituality
Brian Thomsen's OVAL OFFICE OCCULT: A BOOK OF WHITE HOUSE WEIRDNESS, a
collection of true stories about US presidents and their encounters with
occult phenomena, to Lane Butler at Andrews McMeel, in a two-book deal, by
Frank Weimann of The Literary Group.
Science
Professor Peter Bentley's THE SCIENCE OF MISHAPS, real science
demystified by analyzing some of our daily worst-case scenarios, to Julie
Will at Rodale, by Melissa Chinchillo at Fletcher & Parry, on behalf of
Gordon Wise at Curtis Brown UK (US).
Naturalist Thor Hanson's THE IMPENETRABLE FOREST, which blends natural
history with cultural insight to place Uganda's Bwindi forest, home to
half the world's population of endangered mountain gorillas, in the
context of modern Africa, to Eileen Bertelli at 1500 Books, in a nice
deal, by Judy Klein of Kleinworks Agency, on behalf of iUniverse.
True crime
Godson and nephew of Mafia Godfather, Sam "Momo" Giancana, Sam
Giancana, along with investigative crime journalist, Scott Burnstein's
FAMILY AFFAIR: TREACHERY, GREED & BETRAYAL IN THE CHICAGO MAFIA, about the
mysterious inner world of the deadly Chicago mafia, to Denise Silvestro at
Berkley, in a nice deal, by Frank Weimann of The Literary Group.
General/Other
Author of THE GOOD GOOD PIG, Sy Montgomery's book on the natural
history of birds with the his personal stories of birds known and loved,
to Leslie Meredith at Free Press, in a good deal, by Sarah Jane Freymann
at the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency (world).
Author of NYT bestseller A Mind at a Time, education guru Dr. Mel Levine's
BRAINS MAKING GAINS, examining recent neuro-scientific insights into brain
development at four crucial stages of academic and social growth
(kindergarten through Grade 2, Grade 3 through Grade 5, Grade 6 through
Grade 8, and high school), to enable parents to anticipate brain "spurts"
and take advantage of them as fully as possible within the context of
academic demands, to Cindy Spiegel at Spiegel & Grau, in a pre-empt, for
publication in 2009, by Lane Zachary at Zachary Shuster Harmsworth
Literary Agency (world).
Pagan Kennedy's THE DANGEROUS JOY OF DR. SEX AND OTHER TRUE STORIES,
essays that mine the odd, eccentric dreams of iconoclastic America - and
show us how a group of future-thinking individuals can remake the country
in the 21st century, with a centerpiece looking back on the controversial
life of author Alex Comfort, to Andrew Gifford at Santa Fe Writers
Project, in a nice deal, for publication in September 2008 (world).
Writer Steve Horton and illustrator Jeong Mo Yang's PROFESSIONAL MANGA,
the first book to marry Manga techniques with real world digital practice,
to Laura Lewin at Focal Press, by Matt Wagner at Fresh Books (World).
Film
Anna Porter's KASZTNER'S TRAIN, the story of Reszo Kasztner's heroic
efforts to save Hungarian Jews in 1944-45, to Serendipity Point Films/Barna-Alper
Productions, by Michael Levine at Westwood Creative Artists, on behalf of
John Pearce.
Cora Daniels' GhettoNation: A Journey into the Land of Bling and Home of
the Shameless, exploring the impact of "ghetto" mores, attitudes, and
lifestyles on urban communities and American culture in general, to
Codeblack Entertainment, by Nicholas Roman Lewis.
UK
Dr. Halima Bashir's TEARS IN THE DESERT, the first memoir by a Darfuri
woman, about the author's idyllic village childhood, the hell that
followed, and her dramatic escape to England, to Hodder, in a good deal,
by Felicity Bryan.
German rights to Droemer, Italian to Sperling by Andrew Nurnberg.
US:
george@inkwellmanagement.com
Film: cw@felicitybryan.com
fab@felicitybryan.com
Guardian and Financial Times journalist James Harkin's CYBURBIA, exploring
how the new wave of online social networking (such as Facebook, YouTube,
MySpace and Second Life) has become dangerously addictive, as a breeding
ground for voyeurs and exhibitionists, stalkers and angry young men, and
blurs the lines between fantasy and reality, to Stephen Guise at Little
Brown UK, by Elizabeth Sheinkman at Curtis Brown UK (UK/Commonwealth).
The US submission is underway now.
Elizabeth@curtisbrown.co.uk
Foreign: Betsy@curtisbrown.co.uk
Audio
The Goldman family's revised edition of OJ Simpson's IF I DID IT, to
Josh Stanton at Blackstone Audio, in a nice deal, by Sharlene Martin at
Martin Literary Management (world).
sharlene@martinliterarymanagement.com
Foreign
Dutch rights to IF I DID IT, O.J. Simpson's "hypothetical" confession
to the murder of his wife, Nicole, and Ron Goldman, republished with
additional commentary from Pablo F. Fenjves, Dominick Dunne and the
Goldman Family, to Ramon Dahmen at the newly formed Dutch Media Group's
Carrera imprint, in a nice deal, in a pre-empt, for publication at the end
of 2007, by Marc Serges at Global Literary Management, on behalf of
Sharlene Martin at Martin Literary Management.
marc@globallit.com
Spanish rights to co-author of The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book Dr.
Travis Bradberry's THE PERSONALITY CODE, to Natalia Garcia Calvo at
Granica/Norma, in a nice deal, for publication in 2008, by Lance
Fitzgerald at Putnam.
Greek rights to Satoshi Kanazawa and Alan Miller's WHY BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
HAVE MORE DAUGHTERS, to Motibo - Topos Books, by Ana Milenkovic at Prava I
Prevodi, on behalf of Andrew Stuart.
Italian rights to Richard Robinson's WHY THE PHOTOCOPIER ALWAYS JAMS: the
Murphy's Laws of Office Life, to Gabriella Ungarelli at Mondadori, in a
nice deal, for publication in September 2008, by Roberta Oliva and
Francesca Manzoni at Natoli, Stefan and Oliva.
Complex Chinese rights to Tim Guest's SECOND LIVES, to China Times, in a
nice deal, by Gray Tan at Jia-Xi Books, on behalf of Nanci McCloskey at
Denise Shannon
Literary Agency.
Complex Chinese rights to Nuala Gardner's A FRIEND LIKE HENRY, to JC
Culture & Publishing, in a nice deal.
helen.manders@hodder.co.uk
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