Journalist Jonathan Franklin has sold 33 Men to Penguin’s Putnam & Sons imprint. The manuscript chronicles the rescue of 33 miners after the Chilean mining disaster earlier this year.

The video embedded above shows a BBC news report about the rescue. Franklin carried a “Rescue Team” pass which allowed him to close access to the rescue effort. The book will contain material from 75 interviews Franklin conducted, including victims.

Editorial director Marysue Rucci acquired the book and Inkwell Management literary agent George Lucas negotiated the deal. The deal included North American hardcover and paperback rights, as well as eBook and audiobook rights.

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Guardian journalist Jonathan Franklin and New York Times journalist Alexei Barrionuevo are both hoping to write about the 33 miners rescued in Chile yesterday. The BBC report embedded above covers the rescue efforts.

Crain’s New York reports that Franklin has already sold his proposal to several European houses, including the British publisher, Transworld. 33 Men, Buried Alive: The Inside Story of the Trapped Chilean Miners is scheduled for release early next year. George Lucas of Inkwell Management represents Franklin in New York.

Barrionuevo has not yet submitted a proposal, but is represented by Esther Newberg of ICM. According to the article, his book will “cover the aftermath of the rescue and the complications that arise as the miners deal with being international heroes.”

Here’s more from the article: “The concern among publishers is that the public will get enough of the heart-stirring story from all of the news accounts and won’t have any need of a book. ‘We’re wondering how much the immediate coverage will chew up the story,’ said one editor who was considering 33 Men. Despite those concerns, some publishing executives feel that the miners’ story is dramatic and compelling enough to warrant a book.”