Moves for Hoffman, Mosley, Isaacs

Three popular bestselling authors, Alice Hoffman, Walter Mosley and Susan Isaacs, are moving to new publishers. Hoffman, a protegee of the late Faith Sale at Putnam, is following Stacy Creamer to the latter's new home at Doubleday, which has a hard/soft deal with Ballantine for the author's next two books: an untitled novel, set for August next year, and a book of stories to follow a year later. The deal was signed by Creamer and Doubleday president Steve Rubin for North American rights with Hoffman's agent, Elaine Markson, and was of particular interest as one of the anticipated Putnam defections following the recent departure of former president Phyllis Grann. Mosley, in a more complicated deal, has two new publishers, in fact: he sold three new books about his landmark character Easy Rawlins--who hasn't been seen in six years, since Norton published the last one--to Michael Pietsch at Little, Brown, which has done some non-Rawlins titles. The first of them, Bad Boy Brawly Brown, will be out this summer. There is also a deal in place with Washington Square Press for a new hardcover short story collection, also featuring Rawlins, plus a series of reissued and repackaged Rawlins paperbacks; this one was signed with publisher Judith Curr, and the books will be edited by senior editor Tracy Sherrod. Both deals were negotiated with Mosley's longtime agent, Gloria Loomis at Watkins Loomis.

The move for Susan Isaacs was perhaps more surprising, since she has been a stalwart HarperCollins author for the best part of 20 years. She went to Scribner, where she has signed a two-book deal with publisher Susan Moldow, and will be edited by editor-in-chief Nan Graham. The first of the new titles--Isaacs's latest was the bestselling Long Time No See last year--will appear in early 2004. The deal was signed with agent Owen Laster at William Morris.