James Frey is co-writing a YA novel, I AN NUMBER FOUR, that is proposed as the first in six-book series. DreamWorks acquired film rights for “high-six figures” on Friday for director Michael Bay, first reported by the Hollywood Reporter. Publishing rights are on submission via agent Eric Simonoff at William Morris Entertainment. No one has officially confirmed Frey’s involvement, and in the submission Simonoff bills it as by an “unnamed New York Times best-selling author and a young up-and-coming writer.” One publishing executive told the NYT, “I think we’re all confused. I think we’re wondering, ‘Are you hiding it because […]
Deals
That Book that Governor Mark Sanford Might Have Been Writing
Early on during South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford’s disappearance his office assured reporters he was off working on a book. At a news conference Wednesday Sanford admitted to an extramarital affair (the cause of his leaving the country) and said he would resign his post as head of the Republican Governors Association. The NYT notes “the governor had been considered a rising star among conservatives, but this bizarre turn of events has changed his prospects, at least for the time being. At the end of the news conference, a reporter asked whether he would resign from his post as governor. […]
The Things that Are Having Trouble Selling Round-Up
The AP reports a variety of grim measures of decline in the audiobook market. The 14 publishers who report audio sales to the AAP cite a 47 percent drop in revenue so far in 2009, while those physical audiobook sales tracked via Nielsen BookScan (which does not include any downloadable audio) have declined 20 percent in units for the year to date.AP As for individuals, writer-filmmaker John Sayles’ sweeping new 1,000-page novel SOME TIME IN THE SUN has failed to find a publisher since first going on submission last fall. Agent Anothny Arnove tells the LAT, “When I went out […]
Things On the Market or Recently Sold
Over the weekend the NYT reported on former Vice President Dick Cheney’s campaign for a book deal, represented by Bob Barnett. “A person familiar with discussions Mr. Cheney has had with publishers said he was seeking more than $2 million for his advance.” But “Cheney’s friends say he does not need the money and has made clear in his talks that he is eager to give a full accounting of his life in politics that will debunk his many critics. According to a person familiar with a meeting that Mr. Cheney had with a publisher, the former vice president is […]
It's a Rights Fair
So it’s looking a lot more like the third day of BEA here in London as the hard-core continue their work (often with suitcases nearby for tonight’s getaway) and the rest have fallen away, lightening aisles and rights tables alike. Even many of the scouts aren’t crazed with appointments today, which should tell you something. But anecdotal reports continue to indicate that a smaller, less frenized show has still been a fine show for the basic renewing of relationships and presentation of books for translation and secondary sales, along with ancillary international business of all kinds. As always, actual deal […]
Dan Brown Ready to Save Fall
Knopf Doubleday has announced that Dan Brown’s THE LOST SYMBOL will publish September 15, with a first printing said to be five million copies. Featuring the protagonist from the Da Vinci Code, Brown’s editor Jason Kaufman says “this book’s narrative takes place in a twelve-hour period, and from the first page, Dan’s readers will feel the thrill of discovery as they follow Robert Langdon through a masterful and unexpected new landscape. The Lost Symbol is full of surprises.” Brown adds, “This novel has been a strange and wonderful journey. Weaving five years of research into the story’s twelve-hour timeframe was […]