Publishing Industry News: Aug. 23, 2019

door coutnyCurious about what’s happening in the world of books and publishing? Catch up on the biggest acquisitions, news, adaptations and more here!

• Meika Hashimoto’s book The Trail has been optioned for a film by Imagine Entertainment. It follows 12-year-old Toby as he embarks on a life-altering journey: hiking the last 400 miles of the Appalachian Trail after losing his best friend.

• While co-authoring a book on the Trump administration, Glenn Thrush was accused of sexual misconduct. Two years later, publisher Random House released him from the project, but he was allowed to keep his portion of the advance. Co-author Maggie Haberman, who left the project after attempts to salvage it, had to give her portion of the advance back to the publisher.

• 150 YA (young adult) authors have come together to support fellow author Beth Revis in promoting her new book, Bid My Soul Farewell, after her husband experienced advanced heart failure. She was unable to actively promote her new work, so YA authors created the Bid My Soul Farewell preorder giveaway: Those who preorder Revis’s new book will be entered to win one of 40 prize packs that include five signed books – some special editions or some to be released in 2020 – from other prominent YA authors, including Victoria Aveyard, Veronica Roth, Rainbow Rowell, Neil Gaiman and more.

• Publishers won a partial victory in their effort to exclude books from the Trump administration’s plan to impose tariffs on goods imported from China. Bibles and other religious books were not included on the list, and children’s book publishers received a reprieve on picture, drawing and coloring books until Dec. 15, when the 10 percent tariff goes into effect. All other books printed in China are subject to the tariff starting Sept. 1. 

• Jessica Echeverria at Lee & Low has acquired world rights to Marvelous Mabel by Crystal Hubbard – a picture book about Mabel Fairbanks, the first African-American woman inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating Hall of Fame.

• A musical adaptation of Rick Riordan’s popular book Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief will be staged on Broadway for a limited time starting next month.