SIMON & SCHUSTER ACQUIRES LIFE’S A WITCH BY SELF-PUBLISHED AUTHOR

New York, Thursday, February 16, 2012¾Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers announced today plans to publish Life’s a Witch by Brittany Geragotelis. This young adult paranormal novel follows the life of Hadley Bishop, a descendant of one of the women executed in the Salem witch trials. Geragotelis originally self-published the book on Wattpad as a free serial e-novel, where it has already gotten over 18 million reads. She also published a CreateSpace/Amazon paperback edition, which was print-on-demand. The book is slated to be released in Fall 2013 and will be edited by Books for Young Readers Senior Editor Alexandra Cooper. The deal was brokered by Justin Chanda, Vice President and Publisher, with Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, and Simon & Schuster has North American and audio rights to the book.  

Simon & Schuster will also publish a prequel to Life’s a Witch in the form of three e-book installments in Fall 2012. The prequel title is What the Spell? The launch date for the first installment of this original e-book will be September 4, 2012. The prequel centers on Brooklyn Sparks, a witch who has just come into her powers, which revolve around matters of the heart, sort of like a magical Cupid. She quickly begins to abuse her powers to gain popularity and win the guy she likes, Asher—whom she finds out is also a witch. Fans of Life’s a Witch will see Asher’s backstory revealed in this prequel, while new readers will be introduced to the world of witchcraft that Geragotelis has imagined. Simon & Schuster will follow up by publishing this prequel as a book in December 2012. Then Life’s a Witch will be relaunched in Fall 2013, and the sequel to Life’s a Witch will be published in Fall 2014.     

Author Brittany Geragotelis was managing editor of American Cheerleader magazine before publishing her book on Wattpad and CreateSpace. She also runs a book blog called Brittany the Book Slayer. Despite the book’s popularity on Wattpad, Brittany was having trouble finding a traditional publisher until PW Daily ran a story on her decision to self-publish Life’s a Witch and the enthusiastic fan reactions to it.

“It's hard to argue with 18 million Wattpad reads," says Justin Chanda, Vice President and Publisher. "But the truth is that it was the strength of Brittany's writing, these wonderful characters she's created that convinced us—here is someone we want to be working with!”

“I'm incredibly thrilled to be teaming up with Simon & Schuster on the re-launching of the Life's a Witch brand,” says Geragotelis. “I'm drawn to how far they'll go to create a great new series and love that they're not afraid to break the rules and try something new. With their guidance, and my loyal fan base behind me, I know we're about to do something magical.”

ABOUT SIMON & SCHUSTER CHILDREN’S PUBLISHING
Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, one of the leading children’s book publishers in the world, is comprised of the following imprints: Aladdin, Atheneum Books for Young Readers, Beach Lane Books, Libros para niños, Little Simon®, Little Simon Inspirations™, Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, Simon Pulse, and Simon Spotlight®. While maintaining an extensive award-winning backlist, the division continues to publish acclaimed and bestselling books for children of all ages. In addition to numerous Caldecott, Newbery, and National Book Award winners, Simon & Schuster publishes such high-profile properties and series as Eloise, Olivia, Raggedy Ann & Andy™, Henry & Mudge®, The Hardy Boys®, Nancy Drew®, The Spiderwick Chronicles, Nickelodeon’s® Dora the Explorer®, and SpongeBob SquarePants. For more information about Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, visit our website at http://kids.simonandschuster.com.

Simon & Schuster, a part of the CBS Corporation, is a global leader in the field of general interest publishing, dedicated to providing the best in fiction and nonfiction for consumers of all ages, across all printed, electronic, and audio formats. Its divisions include Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, Simon & Schuster Audio, Simon & Schuster Digital, and international companies in Australia, Canada, India, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit our website at www.simonandschuster.com