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Bill Thomas at Doubleday has secured North American rights for The Secret of Secrets, the latest work by renowned author Dan Brown. The deal was negotiated with Heide Lange from Sanford J. Greenburger, and Jason Kaufman is set to take on the editing of the book. This novel represents the sixth installment featuring the character Robert Langdon, the Harvard symbologist first introduced in The Da Vinci Code. The plot unfolds as Langdon travels to Prague to deliver a lecture on “an explosive book containing groundbreaking insights into human consciousness,” but his plans are thrown into disarray following a violent murder. The book is slated for release in September, with an impressive first printing of 1.5 million copies.
Jenny Jackson from Knopf has signed a two-book deal to publish The Will, a psychological thriller that marks the debut of poet Maggie Smith. The deal was arranged through Joy Tutela of the David Black Literary Agency. The narrative centers around a woman who, after the tragic death of her sister and brother-in-law in a car crash, finds herself as the guardian to their two young children. Following a series of personal losses, including multiple miscarriages, she begins to spiral, believing she made a Faustian deal for motherhood by inadvertently causing the accident. The release date of this poignant novel has yet to be announced.
David Drake at Crown has preempted a memoir from Antony Blinken, who served as the United States Secretary of State under President Joe Biden. The deal was finalized with Esther Newberg from CAA, with editing duties assigned to Kevin Doughten. The memoir promises to deliver an insider’s perspective on pivotal global events, including the ongoing conflict arising from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the recent attacks by Hamas on Israel, followed by Israel’s military response. The publication date is yet to be determined.
Tom Mayer at Norton has acquired North American rights to Every Screen on the Planet: The War Over TikTok by Emily Baker-White, a reporter with Forbes. The book, represented by Adam Eaglin at the Cheney Agency, is set to narrate the intriguing rise of the TikTok app, detailing the ambitions of its Chinese creators along with the geopolitical tensions surrounding its future. This includes recent Supreme Court rulings and actions taken during Trump’s presidency regarding TikTok. The publication is aimed for September.
Carolina Orloff at Charco Press has obtained world English rights to the memoir I’m Still Here from Brazilian author and journalist Marcelo Rubens Paiva. The memoir is translated by Daniel Hahn and Alison Entrekin, with the deal arranged through Julia Wähmann and Lucia Riff at Agência Riff via Indent Literary Agency. The book recounts the harrowing tale of Paiva’s father’s abduction and murder during Brazil’s military dictatorship in 1971, alongside his mother’s unwavering public quest for justice. A film adaptation in Portuguese is currently in the works and is nominated for three Academy Awards. The memoir is scheduled for release in winter 2025.
In Brief
Melanie Tortoroli from Norton has acquired world, audio, and first serial rights for an as-yet-untitled cookbook authored by The Food Lab creator J. Kenji López-Alt, through Vicky Bijur. The publication date is still to be announced. Karen Rinaldi at Harper has secured exclusive rights for the United States, Canada, and the Philippines for Twice, a novel by Mitch Albom, which is set for release in October. Otto Penzler at the Mysterious Press has acquired world rights to a nonfiction collection, Reacher: The Stories Behind the Stories, by Lee Child, managed by Darley Anderson. This work is also scheduled for a September release. Kenli Manning at Bloomsbury US has preempted North American rights to Lynn D. Jung’s debut novel Mothsblood, which explores the life of an ambitious alchemist unraveling dark secrets at her university, through Laura Crockett at TriadaUS Literary Agency. Lastly, Deborah Ghim at Ecco has acquired world rights to The Key Biscayne Affair, the English-language debut from Premio Herralde prize winner Xita Rubert, translated from Spanish by Julia Sanches, arranged via Maria Juncosa at Casanovas & Lynch Agency. This title is expected to be released in the fall of 2026.
A version of this article appeared in the 02/03/2025 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline: Deals
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