Macmillan pre-empts major debut fantasy series by Louise Austin

Source: thebookseller.com

Macmillan Children's Books has snapped up a promising new fantasy series from first-time author Louise Austin in a competitive pre-empt. The deal involves editor Bethan Woollvin acquiring UK and Commonwealth rights from agent Sophie Cave at The Good Literary Agency. It's a big vote of confidence in fresh talent, highlighting how publishers are racing to lock in exciting debut voices amid a hot market for middle-grade fantasy.