John Maher

2 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | John Maher |Byrd Leavell

Margo Shickmanter at Avid Reader preempted North American rights to Murder Bimbo by Rebecca Novack (pictured l.) from Claudia Ballard at WME. The publisher said the debut novel is “told in three increasingly subversive acts, in which a 32-year-old sex worker recruited as an unlikely assassin kills an extreme right-wing presidential hopeful...

2 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | John Maher

Four of the Big Five publishers—Hachette Book Group, Macmillan Publishers, Penguin Random House, and Simon & Schuster—and Sourcebooks sent a letter to Congress on April 3 expressing “deep concern” over the state of the nation’s libraries following a week of unprecedented turmoil at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the agency responsible for distributing federal funding to libraries.

2 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | John Maher

Penguin Random House has acquired an as-yet-untitled book cowritten by actor and professional wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and journalist Nick Bilton. Gillian Blake, EVP, publisher, and editorial director of Crown, acquired North American rights from Jay Mandel and Erin Malone of WME. No publication date has been announced.

3 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | John Maher

Penguin Random House will publish three books by Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen “Steph” Curry, in partnership with Curry and Erick Peyton’s Unanimous Media. One World EVP, publisher, and editor-in-chief Chris Jackson acquired North American rights from Byrd Leavell and Albert Lee at UTA. The first book in the deal, Shot Ready—which will include more than 100 photographs—hits shelves on September 9, simultaneously with an audiobook edition from Penguin Random House Audio.

3 weeks ago | publishersweekly.com | John Maher

Robert Davis at Forge acquired North American rights to Paradox, by father-daughter duo Douglas and Aletheia Preston (pictured l.), from Eric Simonoff at William Morris Endeavor.