In what could be the first in a series of similar deals, Jamie Raab, publisher of Warner Books, will publish a mass market paperback edition of Gossip Girl, the young adult novel by Cicely Von Ziegesar, which was published by Little, Brown's children's division.
David Ford, president of the LB children's division, said that after reading Gossip Girl he was convinced that the book, about teenage girls growing up in New York City, had a huge potential in the adult market. He brought the idea to Raab, who read the book and "loved it. It's like watching Sex and the City," Raab said. Warner will change the packaging to give it a "chick-litty look" and will release the title next October, Raab said. "We're going to give synergy a try. We've got nothing to lose since we already own the property," Raab told PW.
Both Ford and Raab said they plan to cross-promote the title as well as the three other books in what has become the Gossip Girl series. Warner's Gossip Girl edition will include a chapter from the other titles and any ads run for Gossip Girl will mention the other books. Raab is also hoping that the title will benefit from a Gossip Girl television show that is in development at Fox.
Gossip Girl has sold 80,000 copies since its release in April, while the sequel, You Know You Love Me, has more than 50,000 copies in print since publication in September. The third book in the series, All I Want Is Everything, is due out in May, and the fourth, as yet unnamed, book will be published next fall.
Raab said she wants to see how Gossip Girl does before committing to another YA project, but noted, "I'm open to it."
