Last week, Crain’s New York published a bombshell report that Amazon had put a a bid for more than $2 million to publish a four book series by self-publishing superstar Amanda Hocking. It is not an April Fools’ joke.
Here’s an evocative passage: “To beef up its offer, Amazon brought in Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, which would have published the print editions of Ms. Hocking’s books, according to insiders … St. Martin’s Press ended up winning the auction, paying $2 million for the series of four novels, but Amazon actually made the highest offer of the six bidders, according to insiders.”
The 26-year-old author (pictured, via) made headlines around the country for her dramatic sales as a self-published author. Her “Watersong” series sale to St. Martin’s rocked publishing headlines last week.
