J.K. Rowling Signs Deal To Publish Book For Adults

The mind behind the Harry Potter book series has signed on to write a new book, this time aimed specifically for adult readers.  After 7 Harry Potter books, J.K. Rowling has signed with a different publisher, Little, Brown Book Group and Little, Brown and Company, to release her adult themed book.  The title and release date for the book will be released later in the year.  Apart from the publisher, the only other information released is that the book will be released in print and ebook format.  In a statement, J.K. Rowling said,

"Although I've enjoyed writing it every bit as much, my next book will be very different to the Harry Potter series, which has been published so brilliantly by Bloomsbury and my other publishers around the world. The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry's success has brought me, and with that new territory it seemed a logical progression to have a new publisher. I am delighted to have a second publishing home in Little, Brown, and a publishing team that will be a great partner in this new phase of my writing life."

David Shelley, publisher from Little, Brown Book Group, will act as the book's editor as well as the primary distributor in the U.K.,

"Tim Hely Hutchinson, Ursula Mackenzie and I, and the whole team at Little, Brown in the UK, along with our colleagues David Young and Michael Pietsch at Little, Brown in the USA, are thrilled, honoured and proud to be publishing J.K. Rowling's new book.

"For me, quite simply, it is a personal and professional dream come true to be working with J.K. Rowling. She is one of the best storytellers in the world, and I am looking forward enormously to helping bring her new novel for adults to her fans and admirers, and to introducing her writing to new readers the world over."

The idea of Rowling working on an adult-orientated book is not a new one, but many fans have expressed concern of Rowling making a successful jump to non-Potter books.  One thing about the Potter books is that they were meant to grow with the young audience, but you can also see growth of Rowling as a writer.  Her writing abilities with "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" (the original U.K. title) were not bad by any stretch of the imagination, but her writing and storytelling by the final book was far superior.  I have little doubt that Rowling will be able to tell a terrific story even if Harry Potter isn't the main character.

Though Rowling ended the Potter story with "The Deathly Hallows", she has admitted that the characters will never leave her and she might do another book under the right circumstances.  But Rowling working on an adult book will take up the next few years of her life when you consider writing time, editing, and promotional work, so no one should expect a new Potter book from Rowling any time soon.  In the mean time, Rowling's new Potter site Pottermore is currently in its Beta test, with a full release expected soon.  Pottermore will allow Potter fans to buy the books in ebook format for the first time, as well as read new short stories from Rowling about secondary characters in the Potter universe.

via Book Trade