Posted in: Comics | Tagged: 9 trials, Agent, graphic novel, Penguin
Liana Sposto Sells Her 9 Trials Graphic Novel To Penguin/Razorbill
Liana Sposto has sold her debut graphic novel, The 9 Trials, to Chris Hernandez at Razorbill. The 9 Trials is the first of a middle-grade fantasy graphic novel series, the first book of which sees a young warlock-in-training burdened with two conflicting magics within himself decides to leave his school for good, but in order to escape he must defeat nine harrowing trials that are meant to test the most wicked parts of himself.
Liana Sposto is an illustrator and cartoonist from Los Angeles, CA. What relationship 9 Trials has to a previous comic of Sposto's, 9 Tries, we may find out at a later date. Sposto tweeted out "vibrating with excitement, cannot wait to share these babies with y'all."
Publication of the first book is planned for summer 2023 and the sequel to follow. Liana Sposto's agent and Bleeding Cool-favourite Britt Siess at Britt Siess Creative Management brokered the two-book deal for world rights.
Razorbill is an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group, is dedicated to publishing the very best of young adult and middle-grade fiction and non-fiction. Razorbill's middle-grade titles include Ratscalibur by author Josh Lieb, The Creature Department, a collaboration between award-winning author Robert Paul Weston and Framestore, and the Shark Wars series by EJ Altbacker.
Chris Hernandez joined Razorbill as a senior editor in April 2019, acquiring picture books, middle grade, young adult, and graphic novels. Before coming to Penguin Random House, he was an editor at HarperCollins, where he worked with Newbery Medalist Katherine Applegate; National Book Award-winner Thanhhà Lai; New York Times bestsellers Pittacus Lore, Lisa McMann, and Tahereh Mafi; SCBWI Golden Kite honoree Cori Doerrfeld; SCBWI Crystal Kite winner Tara Lazar; and critically-acclaimed author Jaye Robin Brown.
Founded in 2020, Britt Siess Creative Management is a Seattle-based full-service literary agency with an emphasis on graphic novels and illustration.