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Maggie Edkins Willis Sells Two Graphic Novels For Six Figures

Book designer Maggie Edkins Willis has sold two middle-grade graphic novels at auction for a six-figure sum to Megan Abbate at Roaring Brook, Smaller Sister and Cheer Up. Roaring Brook Press is part of Holtzbrinck Publishers, distributed by Macmillan, and already has a graphic novel imprint First: Second.

Maggie Edkin Sells Two Graphic Novels to Roaring Brook for Six Figures
Maggie Edkins Willis' Smaller Sister graphic novel

Smaller Sister, scheduled for the spring of 2022 is the story of when Lucy witnesses her big sister's eating disorder and recovery while reckoning with her own body image. Maggie Edkins Willis provided Bleeding Cool with the spreads above and below.

Maggie Edkin Sells Two Graphic Novels to Roaring Brook for Six Figures
Maggie Edkins Willis' Smaller Sister graphic novel

Cheer Up, to be published in the spring of 2024, is the story of when Phoebe reluctantly trades her running shoes for poms when she isn't able to join the track team at her new school. When an accident unmoors her squad, Phoebe battles PTSD and finds there's more to her teammates—and cheerleading—than she anticipated.

Maggie Edkins Willisworked for seven years, in-house at major children's publishers where she designed, art directed, and illustrated dozens of covers. Maggie tweeted out the news earlier this week, saying "I AM SO EXCITED to finally be able to share this major news!! My own graphic novels are on their way into the world and I CAN'T WAIT to share them!! Huge thanks to @megadoooodle, @EditorHsu, @jenrofe, and @SeriousKayla for helping me make this lifelong dream a reality."

Maggie Edkins Willis' agent Jennifer Rofé at the Andrea Brown Literary represented the author for world rights. She tweeted "These GNs by Maggie were such a delightful surprise. When I signed her on, she was working on illustration & pb dummies. Then one day she sent me SMALLER SISTER & it was gobsmacking good & meaningful. Wonderful things are coming to her readers. Congratulations, Maggie!"

Congratulations indeed, and thanks for the spreads!


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Rich JohnstonAbout Rich Johnston

Founder of Bleeding Cool. The longest-serving digital news reporter in the world, since 1992. Author of The Flying Friar, Holed Up, The Avengefuls, Doctor Who: Room With A Deja Vu, The Many Murders Of Miss Cranbourne, Chase Variant. Lives in South-West London, works from Blacks on Dean Street, shops at Piranha Comics. Father of two. Political cartoonist.
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