J.K. Rowling
Critically acclaimed bestselling author of the Harry Potter series, J.K. Rowling has just inked a deal with Little, Brown for an adult novel. Details about the novel and the release date were not announced but Rowling did make a statement regarding the new deal.
“Although I’ve enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series, which has been published so brilliantly by Bloomsbury and my other publishers around the world,” Rowling said in a statement released by Little, Brown. “The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry’s success has brought me, and with that new territory it seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher. I am delighted to have a second publishing home in Little, Brown, and a publishing team that will be a great partner in this new phase of my writing life.”
Rowling will now be joining the same publishing house that currently publishes Stephenie Meyer’s phenomenally popular TWILIGHT series. Rowling will not have to win over a new audience, as many Harry Potter fans are adults and those who started reading her series when they were children, are now adults as well. This should be an exciting venture for Rowling, Little, Brown, and her fans.
From Publishers Weekly:
J.K. Rowling has a new book…and it’s not for kids. The author has signed a world English deal with Little, Brown, selling print, e-book and audio rights to her first novel for adults. David Shelley, publisher of the Little Brown Book Group in the U.K., will be editing the work, which is currently untitled; he brokered the deal with Neil Blair of The Blair Partnership. Rumors have surfaced that Little, Brown was given an exclusive on the work.
Michael Pietsch, publisher of Little, Brown in the U.S., will be handling the American publication of the novel.
LB said that, along with the book’s title, it will announce a publication date, and plot details, later in the year.
This news comes after much speculation about Rowling’s next moves in the publishing world. Last year, she announced Pottermore, a new Web site that would offer a deeper window into the Harry Potter universe. Pottermore launched in beta in October 2011 and, as a solo project. involving no publisher, it hinted that Rowling might be looking to leverage her brand outside of the print system that made her famous. (The site has still not gone live in any official capacity.) This deal, however, indicated that the author is, for the moment at least, seemingly not done with traditional publishing.
