The Frankfurt Book Fair this month saw an abundance of deals being made by the agency – including 37 languages now sold for C.J. Tudor’s debut The Chalk Man – Madeleine took a moment to speak to Tom Tivnan from The Bookseller about the fair, taking a book from the slushpile to six figure book deal, the auction process and what’s working in the market right now. Here’s a little snippet but do take a look at the full interview!
Can you tell when a book is going to take off? And conversely, are there times when a title hasn’t had as much interest as you anticipated? How do you manage the author then?
When a really special book comes along I feel it from the moment I start reading, and then it’s my job to make sure it is prioritised by every editor I send it to. When I started out, I took every rejection personally, but I’m far more resilient now. If a book doesn’t sell for whatever reason, I’ll keep trying. I have authors who were initially rejected by every publisher in London but are now bestsellers. I’ve also been able to launch authors on a digital platform, which has proved a huge success.
