Rae Rashad's THE BLUEPRINT sold in 'significant' six-figure pre-empt
We are delighted to announce that Rae Rashad’s debut, THE BLUEPRINT has been sold in a ‘significant’ six-figure pre-empt to Sarah Ried at Harper.
Sarah Ried acquired North American rights in a one book deal from Catherine Cho at Paper Literary. THE BLUEPRINT is a speculative novel set in an alternate America where an uprising during the 1950s led to the re-enslavement of black women. It follows the story of Solenne, a young woman who becomes the concubine of a powerful white government official.
THE BLUEPRINT is a story about choosing one’s destiny, about sacrifice, about one woman’s journey to reclaim her power. Inspired by the life of Sally Hemings and the true accounts of enslaved Black girls who became concubines to powerful white men, this is a novel that reaches across genre, and – in the way that the most powerful speculative novels do – sheds light on the truths of our world.
Rae Rashad says: “Solenne’s journey to find emotional and physical freedom is both heartbreaking and empowering. As the author, there is freedom in being able to share such a deeply personal story with readers. Many thanks to my agent, Catherine Cho, and my editor, Sarah Ried at Harper. I will forever be grateful for their steadfast encouragement and belief that Solenne’s story deserves to be told with truth and honesty.”
'Major' six-figure deals for Tasha Coryell's debut IF I KILL YOU
We are absolutely delighted to announce deals for Tasha Coryell’s debut thriller IF I KILL YOU, represented by Katie Greenstreet. North American rights were acquired in a ‘major’ six-figure deal by Jen Monroe at Berkley, and UK and Commonwealth rights were acquired in a ‘major’ six-figure deal by Leodora Darlington at Orion.
UK and Commonwealth rights were sold at auction following multiple pre-empt attempts that were turned down, including one that came in less than 24 hours after submission.
Greenstreet and the Paper Literary rights team have closed lightning speed deals, including a pre-empt in France by Robert Laffront. Coryell’s debut is also at auction in Italy after turning down a pre-empt, with first offers in for Germany.
“Razor-sharp, fresh, funny, and irresistibly compelling, If I Kill You, is a brilliant thriller that examines our fascination with true crime. When a handsome lawyer named Wesley is arrested for a series of murders, recently ghosted 30-something Hannah begins writing him letters as an outlet for both her frustration at her failure to launch and her feminist rage. The exercise empowers her, and even feels healthy at first – until Wesley writes back. Their correspondence tips Hannah’s interest in the case from curiosity to obsession, leaving space for nothing else as her life implodes around her. Hannah is the first person Wesley calls upon his release, and they quickly fall into a routine of domestic bliss. Well, as blissful as one can feel while secretly investigating their partner for serial murder…”
Darlington said: “I was bowled over when Tasha’s manuscript landed on my desk. The pitch was compelling, and only a few sentences in, I knew that Tasha’s voice was something special, too. Tasha perfectly encapsulates the millennial experience; the frustration of looking around and seeing that you don’t have what other people your age have; the ease with which interest can slip into obsession; how selective society is about the voices and lives we choose to raise up as important. I could wax lyrical for days about If I Kill You, but I’ve just got to let readers discover this incredible book for themselves. Guaranteed, you will be thinking about the characters Tasha writes long after you turn the final page.”
Coryell said: “Hannah’s search for love and serial killers has lived inside my head for so long and I am thrilled to be working with Leodora Darlington at Orion to bring that journey to readers. All the thanks go to my agent Katie Greenstreet who saw my vision and recognised all that the book could be.”
Greenstreet said: “Discovering Tasha’s book in my submissions pile was truly the stuff of publishing dreams – it’s the literary thriller I’ve been looking for my whole career. Propulsive, biting, and shot through with millennial ennui, I defy future readers not to finish If I Kill You in one sitting! The passion that Leodora and her team have shown for Tasha’s work from the moment my pitch landed in her inbox has blown me away, and I’m delighted to be partnering with Orion to introduce the world to this exceptional novel.”
Karen Ball's THE BEAUTY CASE sold in six-figure pre-empt to Viking
We are delighted to announce that Viking has acquired The Beauty Case by Karen Ball in a six-figure pre-empt. Katie Greenstreet sold world English language rights to Vikki Moynes at Viking for publication in summer 2024. Auctions for translation rights have already begun.
The Beauty Case follows Loretta, “a quick-witted and plucky young woman who harbours a dubious past and is trying to succeed as a make-up artist in the glamorously debauched, misogyny-steeped world of 1950s Hollywood. But La La Land better beware, because there’s something deadlier than make-up lurking in her beauty case, and not all her clients will make it out alive…”
Ball said: “Writing The Beauty Case has been a joy from the very start. Loretta is a character who demanded to be written – she’s very insistent that way. I am humbled by and in awe of the exceptional work from my agent, Katie Greenstreet, and Vikki Moynes’ energy and vision. Together with Loretta, I think we’ll make quite the team!”
Moynes added: “Karen has written a novel that defies typical genre conventions in the best way, bringing Loretta, her formidable yet loveable whip-sharp protagonist to life with a voice that punches its way off the page. She merges the escapism in the luxe debauchery of the Hollywood setting with a darker undercurrent of righteous justice being served with just a hint of sugar and a heavy helping of pizazz. I am so thrilled to be bringing her storytelling prowess and dark wit to the Viking list and can’t wait for readers to get their hands on this delectably juicy, utterly moreish novel.”
A former Bookseller Rising Star with her publishing consultancy Speckled Pen, The Beauty Case is Ball’s debut adult novel having written more than 25 children’s books.