Unforunately we found out today that Hasbro, owner of Wizards of the Coast, has made a corporate decision to focus the Wizards business on their core products: the D&D and Magic the Gathering part of the business, and so are ending the Discoveries program after the 2008 year. I'm told this has nothing to do with Discoveries itself, other than it's not part of their vision. I'm told that at least at this point they still intend to do mass market editions of MAN ON THE CEILING and their other 2008 books, but nothing after that.
So Melanie's novel for next January, the hardcover YELLOW WOOD, and my novel for the following November, DEADFALL HOTEL, are now cancelled. Our agent Bob Fleck is busy readying them for immediate submission to other houses. I know DEADFALL HOTEL had barely gone out before we made the decision to sell to Discoveries, so there are lots of places for it to go still. One nice thing is both books have had a good polishing in the interim.
That's showbiz. We're looking at this as an opportunity to get even better deals on these books, with a publisher we can stay with for awhile.
-- Steve Tem
