Tor Publishing Group and Tor UK Announce Major Multi-Book Deal with John Scalzi

Tor Publishing Group and Tor UK are thrilled to reveal a monumental, multi-book agreement, securing 10 additional books from the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author John Scalzi. This significant deal, which involves a major seven-figure advance, was orchestrated between Tor Publishing Group’s Patrick Nielsen Hayden, VP, Editor-At-Large, Tor UK’s Bella Pagan, Publisher, and agent Ethan Ellenberg from the Ethan Ellenberg Literary Agency in New York. The agreement grants them World English rights.

John Scalzi stands out as one of the most celebrated science fiction authors of his time, with 4.5 million books in print in the United States alone. His debut novel, Old Man’s War, earned him the prestigious John W. Campbell Award (Astounding Award) for Best New Writer. Scalzi’s roster of New York Times bestsellers includes titles like The Last Colony, Fuzzy Nation, Redshirts, The Last Emperox, The Kaiju Preservation Society, and the 2023 hit, Starter Villain. These recent releases have skyrocketed up bestseller lists, breaking previous records for the fastest-selling Scalzi novels. His highly anticipated upcoming book, When the Moon Hits Your Eye, is set for release in March 2025.

Throughout his career, Scalzi has amassed numerous prestigious awards in the genre. He has won multiple Hugo Awards, including Best Novel for Redshirts and for material from his blog, Whatever. His accolades also include Locus Awards, The Dragon Award, and an Audie Award. Additionally, he has received nominations for other honors such as the Nebula and Goodreads Choice Awards.

This new agreement highlights Tor Publishing Group and Tor UK’s ongoing commitment to John Scalzi’s works. The first book under this new contract is expected to be released in 2029.

John Scalzi expressed his excitement about the deal, stating, “It’s rare in publishing to get anything close to continuity—authors go from one publishing house to the next. So I’m especially proud that this contract not only extends my two-decade association with Tor Books, but gives us both an opportunity to build on what’s come before, and make what comes next even better. We have so much planned in the years ahead. I can’t wait for you all to read it.”

Patrick Nielsen Hayden shared his enthusiasm, saying, “It’s fantastic to know that we’ll be in the John Scalzi business for even more years to come. He’s a remarkable writer and I can’t wait to see what he does next.”

Bella Pagan of Tor UK also expressed her excitement, “I am so thrilled to have acquired an incredible ten further books from John Scalzi. John is incredibly talented—writing exciting, adventurous and inventive fiction that is always a delight to publish. I always look forward to the wit and verve John brings to his writing, and it will be fantastic to work with Patrick and the Tor US team on these projects.”

Source: Tor Publishing Group, Tor UK