DEAL OF THE WEEK
DEALS
By Rachel Deahl■ The Ice Man Cometh... to S&S
Actor Val Kilmer sold his memoir, I’m Your Huckleberry, to Simon & Schuster.
Sean Manning took world rights to the title from agent David Vigliano at
Vigliano Associates. S&S said the actor, whose credits include starring roles in
The Doors and Tombstone, will recount “his acclaimed career, his high-profile
romances, his spiritual journey,” and “details of his recent
throat cancer diagnosis and recovery.” Manning added
that Kilmer is “a gifted storyteller” who is “astoundingly
well-read,” and the book, in addition to detailing his life
in Hollywood, replete with “tantalizing celebrity anec-
dotes,” also showcases his “exquisite writing.” I’m Your
Huckleblerry (a reference to a line in Tombstone) is set for
April 2020, to coincide with the release of Top Gun:
Maverick (the sequel to 1986’s Top Gun), in which Kilmer
reprises his role as Tom “Ice Man” Kazansky.■ Prejean’s ‘Dead Man’ to Go Graphic
Andrea Walker at Random House took world rights to a
graphic adaptation of Dead Man Walking. The nonfiction
book, by Helen Prejean, was originally released by
Random House in 1993. In the work, which went on to
become a national bestseller and the basis for a same-
titled film, Prejean, a Roman Catholic sister, chronicles
her experience as the spiritual advisor to two men on
death row. The graphic work, which is being credited to
Prejean and Rose Vines, will feature art by Catherine
Anyango Grünewald, who illustrated a 2010 graphic adaptation of Heart of
Darkness. Citing the timeliness of returning to Prejean’s work, RH said the
title “changed the national discourse about the death penalty.” Julia Masnik
at Watkins Loomis brokered the agreement with Walker.■ Morrow Gets ‘Lit’ with Karp
After a six-bidder auction, Cassie Jones at William Morrow
won U.S., Canadian, and open market rights to Jeffrey
Karp’s Lit. The book, subtitled A Medical Biohacker Reveals
7 Shortcuts to Greatness, is being touted by Morrow as a
science-backed guide to “bring our thinking, creativity,
concentration, and stamina to the next level.” Karp is a
professor of medicine at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s
Hospital, and Morrow said the book is based on “extensive
research and interviews with famous high-performing
individuals.” Heather Jackson, who has an eponymous shingle, represented Karp.■ Atta’s ‘Flamingo’ Lands at Balzer + Bray
After an auction, Alessandra Balzer at Balzer + Bray won North American rights
to Dean Atta’s The Black Flamingo. Atta is a celebrated British poet (who made© ANDREWMACPHERSON10 PUBLISHERS WEEKLY ■ NOVEMBER 4, 2019
KilmerPrejeanKarpread Arabic.”
Sharjah, which is serving as World
Book Capital this year, is preparing
for turns as a guest of honor at several
book fairs next year, including
Bologna, Guadalajara, and London.
Accordingly, SIBF hosted numerous
Italian, Mexican, and U.K. publishers.
This agglomeration of publishers can
sometimes lead to some unexpected
book deals. To wit: Roberto
Amezquita, publisher of Circulo de
Poesia, a poetry publisher based in
Mexico City, came to the U.A.E. and
signed a deal with the Guantanamera
Literary Agency of Seville, Spain, for
a book from Cuba. “Who knew that
could happen?” he remarked. “And in
Sharjah of all places!”
—Ed NawotkaCHANGE YTD
CATEGORY MONTH
Adult Hard -1.2% -0.8%
Adult Paper -12.0% 0.2%
Mass Market -22.7% -14.6%
Physical Audio -0.4% -15.3%
Audio Download 5.7% 25.7%
Adult E-book -7.3% -3.3%
Children/YA 7.9% 8.9%
Religious Presses -10.0% 5.6%
Professional -13.7% -4.8%
K-12 Materials 12.1% 25.7%
Higher Ed. -24.7% -13.6%
University Presses -15.6% -2.6%The children/young adult category was one of only
two categories that posted a sales increase this
August over August 2018, according to AAP’s
StatShot program. All three print formats posted
gains in the month, leading to an overall increase in the
category of 7.9%. August sales dropped 7.5% in the
adult book segment compared to 2018, with every
format except downloadable audio posting sales
declines. Sales for all 1,361 publishers who reported
data to AAP fell 8% in August compared to a year ago.
The only other segment besides the children/YA
category to have a sales gain in the month was K–
instructional materials, which was up 12.1%. The
higher educational course materials segment had the
worst August performance, with sales down 24.7%.Source: AAP StatShotMonthly StatShot,
August