Vance Explores Open AI at Random House
In a preempt, Hilary Redmon at Random House has acquired Elon Musk biographer Ashlee Vance’s new book about tech giant Open AI. The publisher said the book is based on “exclusive access to Open AI and its CEO Sam Altman” and will take readers “behind the scenes of the tumultuous company’s quest to create artificial general intelligence—AI that surpasses human intelligence: one of the riskiest, most exhilarating, most consequential tech, business, and human-interest stories of our time.” The deal was negotiated by David Patterson at the Stuart Krichevsky Literary Agency. A pub date has not been announced.
Zibby Nabs ‘What If’ Author’s Debut Novel
Alisha Fernandez Miranda, author of the much-buzzed-about 2023 memoir My What If Year, has sold world English rights to her debut novel, Unrestricted Giving, to Kathleen Harris at Zibby Books. The publisher said the novel tells the story of “a Latina nonprofit executive juggling new motherhood and life in London who gets a dream job advising the rich and powerful on their philanthropy only to discover that meaning well and doing good aren’t always the same thing.” Stephany Evans at Ayesha Pande Literary brokered the deal. The book is set for spring 2025.
Island Powers Pierce’s ‘Agri-energy’ Book
Emily Turner at Island Press has acquired U.S. English rights to Behind Agri-energy, by regenerative farmer and writer Rebekah Pierce. Lisa Amstutz at Storm Literary Agency negotiated the deal. Island said the book explores how “integrating agriculture and renewable energy systems can help solve the energy crisis and keep farmers on the land.” Behind Agri-energy is set to be published sometime in 2025.
Simon & Schuster Gets ‘Hot Wax’
In a preempt, Simon & Schuster editorial director Tim O’Connell has acquired North American rights to two new novels by M.L. Rio, author of the bestselling If We Were Villains. S&S said the first book, Hot Wax, is about “a young girl who discovers the joys and dangers of life on tour with her father’s band” and the “cross-country journey she takes decades later to flee the claustrophobic reality of her present, only to encounter the very kind of violence she thought she had buried in the past.” No details were available on the as-yet-untitled second book. The deal was negotiated by Arielle Datz at Dunow, Carlson & Lerner. Hot Wax is tentatively set for spring 2025.
‘Fleishman’ Author’s Follow-Up Goes to RH
Taffy Brodesser-Akner, author of the bestselling Fleishman Is in Trouble, has sold North American rights to Long Island Compromise to Andy Ward at Random House. The deal was brokered by Sloan Harris at CAA. Random House said the novel is about “one American family in a cloistered town on Long Island and the dark moment that shatters their suburban paradise.” Long Island Compromise is set to be published in July 2024.
Angry Robot Signs SF Horror Debut
In a two-book deal, Gemma Creffield at Angry Robot has acquired world rights to Symbiote, the debut sci-fi novel by Michael Nayak, a former DARPA researcher and space shuttle engineer. Lindsay Guzzardo of Martin Literary Management handled the deal. Angry Robot said the book is an “intense, atmospheric sci-fi horror story” about a newly emerged parasite that creates “a deadly evolving hive mind among scientists at the South Pole” and described it as “Contagion meets The Walking Dead.” Symbiote is set for spring 2025. No details on the second book were available at press time.
