Posted in: Comics | Tagged: Alex Aster, Comics, graphic novel, lightlark

TikTok Star Alex Aster Sells Lightlark Graphic Novel in 6-Figure Deal

Published Mon, 05 Jul 2021 10:28:13 -0500

Alex Aster has sold her debut YA novel Lightlark, an untitled sequel, and an untitled graphic novel to Anne Heltzel executive editor at Amulet Books/Abrams. No word yet on the artistic team. This past year, Alex Aster's debut song Divine, went viral on TikTok – specifically its BookTok hashtag, spawning over 150,000 videos, which also gave her the opportunity to promote her middle-grade novel titled Curse of the Night Witch and its upcoming sequel Curse of the Forgotten City, the first of which received a Kirkus Star and was chosen as one of Amazon's best children's books of 2020. And the video teaser for her new YA novel, Lightlark has over 1.2 million views, and cemented the deal with Amulet Books.

Lightlark is described as a twisty fantasy that features a once-in-a-century competition between the rulers of six realms on a lush magical island, each of whom is afflicted with a wicked, fatal curse, with 100 days to break the deadly curses that have plagued their realms for centuries. The six combatants must battle with one other, knowing that one of them must die so that the others may live. In the midst of it all is one woman, Isla Crown, who must pick her way through a deadly web of intrigue if she wants to make it out of the game alive — but soon finds her victory campaign waylaid by a romantic entanglement.

The first book is set to be published in the autumn of 2022. Katelyn Detweiler at Jill Grinberg Literary negotiated the six-figure deal at auction for world English rights.

Abrams, formerly Harry N. Abrams, Inc, is an American publisher of art and illustrated books, children's books, and stationery. The enterprise is a subsidiary of the French publisher La Martinière Groupe. Run by President and CEO Michael Jacobs, Abrams publishes and distributes approximately 250 titles annually and has more than 3,000 titles in print. Abrams also distributes publications for the Victoria and Albert Museum, Tate, Vendome Press (in North America), Booth Clibborn Editions, SelfMadeHero, MoMA Children's Books, and 5 Continents. Founded by Harry N. Abrams in 1949, Abrams was the first company in the United States to specialize in the creation and distribution of art books. Times Mirror acquired the company in 1966 and Harry Abrams retired in 1977. For many years, the company was under the direction of Paul Gottlieb (publisher) until January 2001, eighteen months before his death. Abrams was acquired by La Martinière Groupe in 1997.

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