Weiner Inks Five-Book Deal with Morrow
William Morrow executive editor Liz Stein has acquired world rights to five novels from bestselling author Jennifer Weiner. The deal was negotiated by Celeste Fine of Park & Fine Literary and Media. The first book, The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits, will be published in early 2025. Morrow said the novel is set in the pop music world and “moves between the early aughts, when the Griffin Sisters were at the top of the charts, and the present day, when a young woman with connections the band’s two sisters tries to launch her own music career and understand why the band imploded.” Weiner is the author of 21 books, with more than 11 million copies in print globally in 36 languages.
Flatiron Takes Low’s ‘Femonomics’
In a preempt, Flatiron Books publishing director Julie Will has acquired North American rights to Corinne Low’s Femonomics. Low is an associate professor of business economics and public policy at Wharton. Flatiron said the book will offer a “radical framework for understanding and improving the lives of women, using a data-driven approach to overcoming the structural, economic, and biological factors that force and constrain women’s choices.” The deal was negotiated by Jaidree Braddix and Celeste Fine at Park & Fine Literary and Media. The book is expected to be published in fall 2025.
Viking Unearths Boland’s Buried Treasure
After an auction, Kathleen Boland, former events coordinator for Catapult, Counterpoint Press, and Soft Skull Press, has sold North American rights to her debut novel, Accumulation, to Allie Merola at Viking. Viking said the book is about “a woman at a financial and emotional crossroads who books a one-way ticket to join her eccentric, estranged mother in Utah, where she finds her obsessed with a hunt for $1 million in buried treasure, leading them both into the rural west.” The deal was brokered by Meredith Kaffel Simonoff at the Gernert Company. A publication date has not yet been set.
Morrow Finds Gortner’s ‘Muse’
Rachel Kahan at William Morrow has acquired North American rights to international bestselling author C.W. Gortner’s The Saint Laurent Muse. The deal was negotiated by Jennifer Weltz at the Jean V. Naggar Literary Agency. Weltz said the novel tells the story of “LouLou de la Felaise and Yves Saint Laurent, exploring a lifelong friendship between two kindred spirits” and “a tumultuous time and place in fashion history.” Morrow described the book as a “swinging 70s saga of high fashion, intense friendships and rivalries, and champagne days and cocaine nights.” Publication is set for spring 2025.
Jordan and Berkley Head to ‘Dollywood’
After an auction, Berkley executive editor Esi Sogah has acquired world English rights to Once upon a Time in Dollywood, the adult debut by Ashley Jordan, a Reese’s Book Club LitUp fellow. Berkley said the novel follows “a Black playwright from New York who returns to her late grandmother’s home in Tennessee to escape the pressures of her crumbling relationship.” There, she “falls for her new single-dad neighbor.” Sarah Younger at the Nancy Yost Literary Agency brokered the two-book deal. The novel is set for a summer 2025 publication.
Amistad Signs Wong’s Political Love Story
In a preempt, Amistad editorial director Abby West has acquired U.S. English-language, Canadian, and non-exclusive open market rights to Barbara & Ludwig: A True American Story of Resilience and Love by Carmen Rita Wong (Why Didn’t You Tell Me?). Amistad said the book tells the story of “an immigrant Black journalist and a Polish Holocaust survivor who marry in 1959 and together leave their mark on nearly every political movement in modern U.S. history.” The deal was negotiated by Johanna V. Castillo at Writers House. A pub date has not yet been announced.
