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Behind the Deal

Regretsy Scores Latest Blog-to-Book Deal

spats.jpgComic author and radio personality April Winchell is the latest author to turn a blog into a book deal. She just sold "Regretsy," a title based on the her blog that highlights the oddest creations on Internet craft sites.

The Regretsy blog has featured everything from miniature paintings to those knitted spats. The title puns off the name of the popular craft site, Etsy. Jill Schwartzman at Random House's Villard imprint bought the title for trade paperback publication. Meg Thompson at LJK Literary Management negotiated the deal.

The site also features a fascinating page counting successful sales of strange crafts. Here's more about the forthcoming book: "The book will feature a collection of the oddest, most hilarious, and most disturbing crafts the world has ever seen, along with hilarious commentary provided by the author."

NY Times Reporter Lands Seven Figure Deal for Barack Obama Book

obama_portrait_146px.jpgNY Times Washington correspondent Jodi Kantor has sold a book about President Barack Obama in a seven figure deal, according to the NY Observer.

Little, Brown won the book in an auction, and the deal was brokered by Elyse Cheney from Elyse Cheney Literary Associates. The article notes that the book will be edited by Geoff Shandler. Most recently, Kantor wrote a long essay for the NY Times magazine about the Obama's marriage.

Here's an excerpt, reflecting the reporter's unique perspective on the Obamas after covering them for three years: "Long before many Americans, Michelle Obama was seduced by his mind, his charm, his promise of social transformation; long before he held national office, she questioned whether he really could deliver on all his earnest pledges. For nearly two decades, Michelle Obama has lived with the president of the United States. Now the rest of us do, too."

Fake AP Stylebook Twitter Feed Makes Headlines

fakeapstylebook.jpgGalleyCat made the front page of Louisville, Kentucky's Courier-Journal today, briefly quoted about the state of Twitter literature.

The newspaper story focused on two young writers who hope to land a book deal for their enormously popular Twitter feed, the Fake AP Stylebook. The website pays comic homage to "The AP Stylebook," the metaphorical Bible for resolving all journalistic style issues. According to the article, agent Kate McKean from Howard Morhaim Literary Agency has already spoken with Random House and Little, Brown about the project.

Here's a peek into the living room co-writer Mark Hale, a recession-era publishing success story: "Hale, meanwhile--whose living room has no couch but a large aquarium, some cats and a bookshelf packed with graphic novels--is trying to adjust from being an unemployed food-service worker (whose main responsibilities were job hunting, housekeeping and pet-tending--to co-creator of the latest Web phenomenon."

Sheila McClear's Memoir (It's Not About Gawker)

In early 2008, we learned that Sheila McClear (left), then an editor at Gawker, was shopping a memoir about her brief career as a peep show dancer. This morning, we're pleased to hear that the book, formerly titled Every Day I Know Less and Less: Postcards From the New Times Square, has been sold to Denise Oswald of Soft Skull as Last of the Live Nude Girls, in a deal brokered by Holly Bemiss.

Fake AP Stylebook Twitter Feed Lands an Agent

fakeapstylebook.jpgIn two weeks and 314 tweets, the Fake AP Stylebook Twitter feed has earned more than 43,000 followers. Now, the creators have signed with an unnamed agent.

The website pays comic homage to "The AP Stylebook," the metaphorical Bible for resolving all journalistic style issues. Founded by 31-year-old Mark Hale and 28-year-old Ken Lowery, the comic site specializes in pithy bits of fake journalistic wisdom like: "Do not use 'Whoomp! There it is!' unless it actually is there" and "To denote air quotes, 'use quotes.'"

Here's more from co-creator Hale, from a Media Nation interview: "We and the Bureau Chiefs are currently pulling together a sample chapter as part of a book proposal. We've been approached by three agents, and have finally signed on with one ... Other than that, we're going to continue trying to make people laugh for free on the Internet. That's where the real money is these days, after all."

(UPDATE: In an interview with MediaShift, Lowery identifies Kate McKean of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency as their agent of choice. McKean is the agent for several bloggers with print aspirations, including the authors of TheLongThread.com, UnecessaryQuotes.com, and the I Can Has Cheezburger crew.)

Sarah Palin Earned At Least a $1.25 Million Memoir Advance

9780061939891.jpgIn an earnings statement, Sarah Palin revealed she has already earned $1.25 million for her upcoming memoir, "Going Rogue: An American Life."

According to the Guardian, the former Alaskan governor may have earned another portion of her advance when she turned in her book in late September, "since book advances are often distributed in several parts." Some have speculated the advance totaled $7 million. In sunnier times for publishing, Hillary Clinton earned a total of $8 million advance for "Living History," her 2000 memoir.

Here's more from the article, noting that Palin has sparked a curious literary trend: "Also slated for release November 17 are two books called 'Going Rouge,' one a parody colouring book for children, the other a compilation of essays critical of Palin."

Our Year of Magical Thinking

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During these gloomy days of layoffs and economic struggles, one author landed a book deal by focusing on the power of magical thinking--turning a magazine article into a full-fledged book.

Psychology Today journalist Matthew Hutson just sold world rights to "7 Laws of Magical Thinking: How Everyday Irrational Wisdom Keeps Us Happy, Healthy and Sane" to Hudson Street Press editor-in-chief Caroline Sutton. The deal was negotiated by Melissa Flashman at Trident, and the book is scheduled for a winter 2012 release.

Here's more about the book: "A tour of the seven principles of everyday superstition to illuminate the deepest recesses of our imaginations and, ultimately, show us why belief plays a much more significant role in maintaining our health and happiness than most of us could ever imagine."

Rebecca Romijn's Husband to Write Stay-at-Home Dad Memoir

crossingjordan.jpgActor and husband of actress Rebecca Romijn will write a memoir about raising twins with one of Hollywood's most famous moms.

Jerry O'Connell (pictured, via) has sold his memoir, "Cry, Feed, (Make Love to Wife), Burp" to Ballantine editorial director of non-fiction Luke Dempsey. The deal was negotiated by Richard Abate at 3Arts. While the memoir pegs O'Connell as a stay-at-home dad, O'Connell has starred in Stand By Me and Crossing Jordan.

Here's more about the book: "O'Connell will describe life as a very 21st century father in a land of celebrity, the sterile California suburbs, and two-for-one diaper changing -- everything from the moment he was told it was time for him to be a father, through the trials and tribulations of conception and childbirth, to the joys and disasters and joys again of staying home to raise two new babies."

Concord Prepares Free Anthology on Money

concord-freepress-logo.jpgIt's always sort of bugged us that we've never gotten around to writing about Concord Free Press, the independent publisher that literally gives away its books (encouraging readers to make donations to charitable organizations and individuals in need), so when we saw news on the Entertainment Weekly book blog of a new Gregory Maguire novel released into the wild, we were delighted to see the house was still going strong—and then we found out from Concord board member Ron Slate about an anthology he's assembling for publication in 2010 called IOU: New Writing on Money.

Slate is looking for great writing in a variety of genres—short stories, poetry, prose poems, memoir, and essays included—and you can submit your material for consideration until the end of January 2010. If your work is accepted (and you'll find out in a month if that's the case), you'll be giving it to Concord for free, but as per the house's standard operating procedure, you'll retain all the rights and if you can sell it again, more power to you! (In fact, the first Concord offering, Stona Fitch's Give and Take, generated so much buzz that St. Martin's has picked it up for republication next year.) You will receive five copies of IOU when it comes out next spring—but Concord hopes that you'll pass at least four of them on to other readers.

(Slate has set up an IOU Facebook discussion group, so members can follow the conversation about the book, and its subject matter, there as well.)

HarperOne Gets Exclusive with Sylvia Browne

sylvia-browne-headshot.jpgHarperOne, the "mind-body-spirit" division of HarperCollins, announced late yesterday that it had become the exclusive publisher of Sylvia Browne, best known for appearing on television programs like The Montel Williams Show to demonstrate her "psychic powers" (including at least one stunning failure, when she informed the parents of an abducted boy he was dead, and he turned up four years later). Prior to this deal, Browne's books had most recently been split between Hay House and Dutton; the exclusivity begins with the May 2010 publication of a memoir, Psychic—and also includes a promise to launch "The Sylvia Browne Collection," a series of books by other authors about the supernatural and spirituality which Browne will promote through her website as well as personal appearances.

We would love to report that some publisher had given James Randi an exclusive three-book deal and created "The James Randi Collection" to promote books about the application of rigorous scientific research to claims of psychic and supernatural phenomena, but perhaps another day.

Previously

St. Martin's Will Publish New E. Lynn Harris Novel

Zombie-ification of Literature Shambles Onward

The Book Deal That Began Halfway Around the World

Book Deal for SC Governor Mark Sanford's Wife

John Edwards Staffer's Book Proposal Leaked

Denise Oswald on Twitter Novel Deal

Journalist Released from N. Korean Prison Shops Book with Sister

Berkley Brings House Favorite Out of Limbo

Journalist Richard Wolffe Plans New Obama Book

Yann Martel's Multi-Million Dollar Deal

Hard Case Crime to Honor Westlake's Memory

Hollywood Gets Life Without Parole; Berkley Takes On Victim's Story

Justin Timberlake Shops Golf Book Proposal

Harper: Sarah Palin's Memoir Will Be "Huge"

Updating Cyrano for the YouTube Generation

How the MSM Totally Missed the Zombie Apocalypse

Michael Jackson Bio to be Reprinted in U.S.

Barack Obama's Half-Brother to Write Book

Rescued Pirate Captive Closes Book Deal

Rupert Murdoch Has Plans for Sarah Palin

Glenn Beck to Publish Across All Age Groups

Susan Boyle's Got Literary Buzz

Hudson Street Press EIC Scores "America's Best Known Doctor"

Spector Son's Tell-All Surprisingly Not Titled "To Know Him Is To Love Him"

Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal To Write Book

Grove/Atlantic "Opens the Floodgates" for Great American Novelist

Literary Presidential Payday

President Bush Sells his Memoir

Emergency Room Reformer Sells Book

Chesley Sullenberger Lands $3.2 Million Two-Book Deal

Rumors of a $2.5 Million Bid for Chesley Sullenberger's Book

James Franco Scores Scribner Deal

Rod Blagojevich Scores Six Figure Book Deal

Picador Invests in Roberto Bolano

SNL's Oral Historians Tackle ESPN

Is Blagojevich Close to a Book Deal?

Slumdog Millionaire Scribe Scores Book Deal

Viking Buys Author Danielle Trussoni's First Novel

Movable Type Literary Group Closes Two Deals

Agent Auctions His College Classmate's Novel

How President Barack Obama's Book Was Rejected

Sarah Palin Gets Serious About Selling a Book

Family Turns Self-Publishing Success Into William Morrow Deal

Authors Plan Eight New Bernard Madoff Books

Comedian Chris Rock Sells New Book

The First Self-Publishing Success Story of '09?

Sloane Crosley Sells Her Second Book

Laura Bush Sells Memoirs To Simon & Schuster

Riverhead To Publish Barack Obama Book by NY Times' Staff

Melville House Book Begins on Blog

Inside David Browne's Rock & Roll Book Deal

FiveThirtyEight Guy Sells Two Books With Two Pages?

Here's What We Know About Palin's "$7M Book Deal"

How Sujatha Hampton Landed Her First Book Deal

$7 Million for Sarah Palin? Radar Thinks So

Sarah Silverman, Jerry Seinfeld, and Trident Media Group Strike Book Gold

FBLA: Making Standardized Test Prep Funny

Exclusive Interview: How Erin McKean Sold Her Blog-Based Book

After 20 Years, Nick Cave's Second Novel is Coming

FBNY: Harper Editor Moonlights as Soccer Coach

Jumping Off the Carousel Before It Slows Down

The Olympic Memoir We'd Like to See

Rob Weisbach Hasn't Become an Agent: Observer

Weisbach Sells True-Life Adventure (Not His Own) to Ecco

Emily Gould May Have Sold Her Essay Collection

Could One Blog's Shadow Cast Fear into the Hearts of Editors?

FishbowlNY: What's in Emily Gould's Book Proposal?

Thirty-Some Years Later, E-Book Blogger Sells His Novel

FishbowlNY: Jezebel's Kid Lit Blogger Gets Book Deal

Whatever It Is, It Ain't Madonna's Nanny's Tell-All

As the Curtain Rises, Julie Klausner Sells Memoir

Random Gawker Mention Leads to Book Deal

Didn't Martin Mull Write This Back in '85?

Elsewhere on mediabistro.com: Commie Girls and Olsen Twins

Everybody Falls for Modern Love

America's Newspapers Already Preparing LOLcat Headlines

16 Years Later, the Last Word on Amy Fisher?

Zen Blogger Even More Productive Than I'd Imagined

Is the Tom Wolfe Deal Win-Win-Win?

What's Tom Wolfe Got to Say for Himself?

Why'd Tom Wolfe Flip to Little, Brown?

Karl Rove Chooses Threshold Over Free Press

Lynn Spears Parenting Memoir On Indefinite Hold

Even Bob Barnett Feels the Holiday Crunch

Simon & Schuster Imprints Jockeying for Rove Memoir

How Much Is Karl Rove Holding Out For?

The Wheel of Time Will Have Its Ending

Walter Mosley to Launch New Mystery Series @ Riverhead

Mark Sarvas, Europe's Hottest New Literary Find

The Clintons Ate My Homework, and Other Right-Wing Publishing Tales

She Lands Book Deal, You Pick the Title

Forget Your Troubles, C'mon Get Happy

You Heard Me: James Frey Sold a Novel

James Frey Sells Novel to HarperCollins

Marcia! Marcia! Marcia Has a Book Deal!

Newsroom Assistant Lands Sunday Feature, Book Deal

Book Deal For Ousted US Attorney

Fred Goldman Is Not Self-Publishing OJ's Confession

Keith Richards Settles On Little, Brown

Pelosi to Pen Memoir for Doubleday

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