James Patterson’s next novel AIRBORNE is an experimental, mostly electronic work. Instead of working with a single co-author, Patterson wrote the first and list chapters, with the other 28 short chapters each written by someone different. The writers were recruited through a contest held by Random House UK and Borders Australia. “Airborne will be released electronically, one chapter at a time, starting on March 20th. Later, a print edition will be published, but only as a prize of sorts for the participants in the competition – it will not be mass produced.”ReadWriteWeb
New Releases/Forthcoming
HMH To Publish Obscure Early Tolkien Novel
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt will publish The Legend of of Sigurd and Gudrun, “a thorough reworking in verse of old Norse epics” that predates The Hobbit and the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, in May. AP
Ron Howard Says Dan Brown Has Finished Next Book
The director made the disclosure to Entertainment Tonight in an interview from the set of Angels and Demons in Geneva. Spokesperson Suzanne Herz commented only that Brown “is making great progress,” and said “we do not yet have a title or publication date to share.” Reuters
Krakauer Returns
The Jon Krakauer book on the life and death of NFL player turned Army Ranger Pat Tillman–postponed last fall after the author cancelled a BEA speaking slot–is set for publication after all. Retitled WHERE MEN WIN GLORY: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman, Doubleday has an announced first printing of 600,000 copies set for release on September 22.
Some Big Titles on the Way
The WSJ highlights a few big releases, including the announced 2.8 million-copy first printing for John Grisham’s The Associate, publishing January 27. Others mentioned include Jodi Picoult’s Handle with Care, James Patterson’s nonfiction book The Murder of King Tut, Jonathan Littell’s The Kindly Ones, Sara Gruen’s Ape House, and Emmanuel Jal’s War Child: A Child Soldier’s Story.WSJ
New Releases Aim for Post-Holiday Sales
Gotham publisher Bill Shinker explains to the WSJ that “the week after Christmas is a great time to put out books,” in part due to the rise in gift-card sales. Barnes & Noble says gift card purchases have doubled over the past five years. Highlighted newly-releasing titles in this short piece are: Josh Bazell’s Beat the ReaperAnn Coulter’s Guilty: Liberal ‘Victims’ and Their Assault on AmericaAzar Nafisi’s Things I’ve Been Silent About: MemoriesHarry S. Dent’s The Great Depression Ahead: How to Prosper in the Crash Following the Greatest Boom in History WSJ