Monthly Archive for March, 2009

THIS SITE NEEDS YOU

Please send me your questions about any aspect of publishing. No matter how basic or how complex. I will compile an FAQ and keep it on the site in perpetuity. Your questions might be like this -

a) Should I only approach one agent at a time?

b) How long should I wait before chasing an agent for a response?

c) Why are books so cheap?

d) Why do I need an agent at all?

e) What genres are out of fashion?

or even e) Why won’t the world recognise my genius?

Email me to simon@unitedagents.co.uk or just click here

SLUSH-PILE SUCCESS

Ebury Press has secured pre-emptive rights for two crime novels from debut author Jane Casey, whose manuscript was picked from the agent’s slush-pile.

janecaseyGillian Green, editorial director for fiction at Ebury, bought UK and Commonwealth rights (with Europe exclusive) from Simon Trewin at United Agents for an undisclosed sum.

Trewin said: “My brilliant assistant Ariella Feiner called me at home on a Sunday to say that she had plucked Jane’s manuscript off my slush pile on the way home on Friday and hadn’t been able to put it down. I quickly caught up with her and by Wednesday Jane was sitting in my office as my newest client.

“Nothing beats the excitement of launching a new young voice onto the publishing scene, and Jane is going to be a powerful addition to the crime/thriller genre.”

Continue reading ‘SLUSH-PILE SUCCESS’

BEATRICE AND HER WILLY WONKA MOMENT…..

‘Being chosen is the literary equivalent of winning one of Willy Wonka’s golden tickets. It brings nationwide promotion and an invitation to the British Book awards, the Oscars of the UK book world, in April.’

In The Times today Beatrice Colin – author of the sublime novel THE LUMINOUS LIFE OF LILY APHRODITE talks of her experiences before, and after, being picked by the Richard and Judy Book Club…..

Read the article here

THE FILM THAT SAVED THE WORLD

The movie Sam Mills’ internationally bestselling novel THE BOYS WHO SAVED THE WORLD has gone into production and you can see an exclusive peak at early footage here. The film is being produced by ‘Because We Can Productions’, a unique film company which is driven by passion for the art of film. Founded in 2009, BWC Productions is a truly independent guerilla filmmaking project that aims to create films with meaning and soul. It is being directed by aspiring film graduate Ufuk Gokkaya. Music is by Thomas Johnson ‘Shnex’, a music producer and sound engineer whose writing music for many years with animation by Mattia Galli and Anna Diaz, two east London based up and coming independent animators whom have graduated from the Istituto Europeo di Design, Milan.

AMAZON SUCCESS FOR FLEMING AND BOYNE DVDs

SWINDLED

Congratulations to Bee Wilson whose book Swindled has been shortlisted for the prestigious Andre Simon Memorial Fund Annual Food and Drink Awards 2009. 

‘Timely, witty and purposeful, this thorough history should open a lot of eyes, and close some mouths’ Publishers Weekly.