Venus Williams Signs with Harper
By Lynn Andriani -- Publishers Weekly, 7/16/2008 8:47:00 AM
HarperCollins has inked a deal with 2008 Wimbledon winner Venus Williams for The Coach Matters: Life Lessons Beyond the Playing Field, an inspirational book about how a memorable coach’s winning advice can translate into success beyond sports. Williams will reflect on how her own coaches’ advice, including that of her father and mother, helped her make tennis history and succeed in the business world and beyond. The tennis star will interview other business, sports, entertainment, fashion and political icons who had high school, college or professional coaches whose sports maxims translated well off the court and field. Lisa Queen, representing IMG, sold world rights (excluding U.K. and Australia) to Amistad’s editorial director Dawn Davis. Publication is scheduled for summer 2010.
Harper’s announcement follows another post-Wimbledon book deal: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt bought Sports Illustrated writer L. Jon Wertheim’s book on the 2008 Wimbledon men’s final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, titled Strokes of Genius.
