WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange claims he had to sell a memoir to raise funds to defend himself, telling the Times of London, “I don’t want to write this book, but I have to. I have already spent [more than $300,000] for legal costs, and I need to defend myself and keep WikiLeaks afloat.” Did anyone tell him how long it was going to take collect his advance? Assange says Knopf is paying about $800,000 and Canongate is paying him approximately $500,000. He estimates that money from serialization and other territories will add another few hundred thousand dollars, though again its […]
Deals
WikiLeaks Founder Julian Assange Has Memoirs Coming from Knopf and Canongate In March
Canongate bought rights to Julian Assange’s memoirs for the UK and translations from Caroline Michel at PFD but he won’t be contemplating his life for long, due to deliver a manuscript in March 2011 for publication later in the year. Knopf bought rights here. Daily Finance
Updates of All Kinds
1. Despite the skepticism expressed yesterday by co-author of the self-published success THE INVESTMENT ANSWER Dan Goldie about “whether there could be advantages” to having an established publisher take over, people familiar with the negotiations tell us that agent Laurie Liss at Sterling Lord Literistic is well along the path towards a sale, reportedly with multiple seven-figure bids offered and a deal announcement expected shortly. 2. If you read at least some mild skepticism in Barnes & Noble‘s report yesterday on the status of their investigation of strategic options for the company, then you will find credence in this report […]
Canada Gets their Giller-Winner In Stock
As promised last week, publisher of Giller-winning THE SENTIMENTALISTS Gaspereau Press announced today that they have licensed trade paperback rights to another independent publisher, Vancouver’s Douglas & McIntyre. D&M says they are printing 30,000 copies of the $19.95 (CA) paperback for shipment from the bindery on November 19, with paper on hand for a 20,000-copy reprint. The book has been available in ebook form in Canada from Kobo, and D&M will expand distribution to include Kindle, Nook, Sony and the iBookstore. Gaspereau will continue to fulfill orders for their $27.95 hardcover, which they print themselves.
Financial Crisis Commission Report Moves from Little, Brown to Public Affairs
In August the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission proudly hailed an unusual deal with Little, Brown for “authorized” publication of their report about the 2008 collapse that would provide the government with both an advance and royalties. Reports at the time said that five of the six largest publishers had bid, and Little, Brown was selected for “the intangibles.” But the WSJ reported yesterday that the original publishing deal “failed to close” for undisclosed reasons. Will Lippincott at Lippincott Massie McQuilkin, who co-agented the report with Joe Spieler of the Spieler Agency, confirms that Public Affairs will publish the report in […]
Open Road and Cursor Announce Lists, and More Imprint News
Open Road has announced four titles that they will publish this fall as ebook originals: Jonathon King’s MIDNIGHT GUARDIANS, the sixth book in his Edgar Award- winning Max Freeman mystery series (along with ebook versions of the first five Freeman mysteries and two standalone novels)Mary Glickman’s first novel, HOME IN THE MORNINGGenre veteran Alan Dean Foster’s memoir PREDATORS I HAVE KNOWNEntertainment journalist Jo Piazza’s CELEBRITY INC. With world rights to all the titles, publisher Brendan Cahill will represent publishing rights at the Frankfurt Book Fair, with co-founder Jeff Sharp representing film/TV rights. Separately, Richard Nash‘s long-discussed start-up Cursor may actually […]