I am absolutely thrilled to announce that a book deal has been agreed with Tor US for the very first client I signed up, Sam Hawke.
Having worked on the other side of the fence for so long I know how incredibly busy editors are and how long it takes them to actually read submissions so I was stoked when Diana Gill an Executive Editor at Tor US read this within a week or so of my having sent it to her and offered shortly afterwards. This is my first deal as an agent - and Diana's first acquisition for Tor US so we've both had a lot of fun with it all. We've been sitting on the news for a while now getting titles sorted out but now that's all done and it's all motoring ahead.
Having set up for myself just last year it's been fabulous reading through submissions, taking on a few authors I feel passionate about and working with them on their scripts. But it's also all been a learning curve dealing with everything on this side of the fence. Speaking to an incredibly experienced and talented agent, Carole Blake, at Harrogate she asked me how it was going and I said, in all honesty 'it's rather terrifying'. And it was! More for the big change from acquiring editor to the person doing the selling, and also for the huge sense of responsibility you feel for your authors in wanting to get their books published. I don't think that aspect of it will ever change, but I can also say now that it's hugely exciting! :-)
Here's the press release and, hopefully, it will be the first of many!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DEBUT FANTASY SERIES TO TOR
Julie Crisp has sold debut fantasy author Sam Hawke to Diana Gill at Tor
London, UK (October 13, 2016): Diana Gill, Executive Editor at Tor Books has acquired two novels in a nice five figure deal for World rights from Julie Crisp Literary Agency.
Crisp, formerly an editorial director of fiction at Pan Macmillan running the Tor UK imprint, left the company last year to set up her own business. Diana Gill, formerly Executive Editor at Berkley, recently joined Tor US and is acquiring for her own list of genre authors.
Sam Hawke is an Australian fantasy author. The novel, City of Lies is the first novel in ‘The Poison Wars’ series and is an intelligent epic fantasy full of action, drama and original characters.
Diana Gill said: “I am thrilled to publish this great epic fantasy debut as my first acquisition for Tor. I was hooked on the very first sentence, and fans of Robin Hobb and Mark Lawrence will love the wonderful mix of court intrigue and murders in a besieged city-state.”
Sam Hawke commented: “I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Diana and Tor and ecstatic that City of Lies will be part of their amazing SFF lineup.”
Julie Crisp said: “I’m delighted that Sam will be published with Diana. Tor US is such a great supporter of new genre voices and I can’t wait until readers get to meet the fabulous characters in City of Lies.”
About City of Lies
Jovan wears two faces. Outwardly, he is the lifelong friend of the Chancellor’s charming, irresponsible Heir. Quiet. Forgettable. In secret, Jovan is a master of poisons and chemicals, trained to protect the Chancellor’s family from treachery.
His sister, Kalina, hides her frustrations behind a mask of calm. While other women of the city hold positions of power, her own path is one of secrets and lies - hidden even from her own brother.
When the Chancellor succumbs to an unknown poison and a revolutionary army lays siege to the city, Jovan and Kalina’s structured world unravels. Trapped and desperate, they soon discover their civilized country also has two faces; behind the beauty and sophistication is an ugly past built on oppression and treachery...
About the author
Sam Hawke has wanted to write books since realizing as a child that they didn't just breed between themselves in libraries. Having contemplated careers as varied as engineer, tax accountant and zookeeper Hawke eventually settled on the law. After marrying a jujitsu training partner and travelling to as many countries as possible, Hawke now resides in Canberra raising two small ninjas and two idiot dogs. You can find Sam Hawke online at samhawkewrites.com, on Twitter as @samhawkewrites and on Facebook as www.facebook.com/samhawkewrites.
About Tor Books
Tor Books, an imprint of Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, is a New York-based publisher of bestselling and critically acclaimed fiction in all formats. Founded in 1980, Tor publishes what is arguably the largest and most diverse line of award winning science fiction and fantasy, with its books receiving every major award in the SF and Fantasy field. Tor has been named Best Publisher 29 years in a row in the Locus Poll, the largest consumer poll in SF.