Screenwriter Steven Rowley (pictured, via) has landed a deal with Simon & Schuster for his novel Lily and the Octopus.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rowley has been offered an advance worth nearly $1 million. Senior editor Karyn Marcus negotiated the deal with literary agent Rob Weisbach.
Here’s more from the article: “S&S got an early peek at the manuscript via a recommendation from freelance editor Molly Lindley, whom Rowley had hired to help him. The publisher then bought the book during a whirlwind exclusive 48-hour negotiation. Publishers don’t usually move that quickly, but everyone at S&S who read the manuscript responded to it so positively that an offer was made with unusual speed.”