J D Robb: So good they named her twice

Piatkus, which has been publishing the prolific American romance writer Nora Roberts for the past four years, has just concluded a "huge" deal with MBA to publish the author's entire output in her alter ego as J D Robb. Nineteen J D Robb novels--futuristic police procedurals set in New York--will appear in a publishing programme which kicks off in the autumn and will continue until 2005.

The first three titles will be Naked in Death (£5.99, 0749934069), Glory in Death (£5.99, 34077) and Immortal in Death (£5,99, 34085), all published in October, with three more books following in January.

It is worth reviewing the success independent publisher Piatkus has had with Roberts hitherto. Judy Piatkus estimates that by the end of 2003, the publisher will have sold one million copies of her books, spread over nearly 20 titles in all editions. While in the US, Roberts--who has published 150 novels in her 20-year career--reaches number one bestseller status with each new title, she has not previously sold in the UK at this level.

Judy Piatkus believes that Roberts' unassuming style--she continues to live with her husband in the house in Maryland they have always owned--may be a factor in her relatively low profile. "She's the world's most successful and prolific woman novelist except for J K Rowling, but she's sometimes overlooked because she's extremely modest. People don't realise that she's up there with Grisham and Clancy."

Certainly the existence of a loyal fan base for Roberts in the UK has not always been appreciated in the trade, she argues. "She used to write for Mills&Boon, and the association may have worked against her as trends moved upmarket. People take Roberts for granted because she has always been around, but in fact she is selling better than ever."

Piatkus' success with Roberts is a result of enthusiastic support from the whole company. "We really like the novels and all eagerly read them as they come in--and because we like her novels, we know who they are appealing to," Ms Piatkus says. "We've been 100% committed to making her work, and have spent a lot of money marketing and promoting her."

Headline published the first six J D Robb novels in the 1990s, but did not reveal on the covers that the author and Nora Roberts were one and the same. Piatkus will now capitalise on its sales success with Roberts by making the connection clear for the first time.

The link will also be promoted by the publication of Remember When (£18.99, 0660X) in October, a novel in two linked halves which cites both Nora Roberts and J D Robb as authors.

The marketing for the J D Robb books will, however, be different in style. Where Nora Roberts novels are contemporary, a mix of psychological suspense and romance with strong characterisation, J D Robb novels are set in 2058, and all feature the same lead character--NYPD lieutenant Eve Dallas--as she gets on the trail of serial killers and other criminals.

The cover look for J D Robb is sharper and more stylish; the author photo shows J D Robb in a black leather jacket--while Nora Roberts is pictured with soft lighting and flowers. "There is crossover, but J D Robb will also appeal to a different market who wouldn't be comfortable reading Nora--young women in their 20s and 30s." In America, J D Robb has also had appeal for men and for a gay readership, Ms Piatkus says.

The publishing programme is hectic, since Roberts writes five or six novels a year. Piatkus has published five Roberts novels in the past six months, and after the J D Robb launch, there is also a new Roberts trilogy, with a touch of fantasy, to come: The Key of Light (£18.88, 06707) comes out in January, to be followed by The Key of Knowledge (March) and The Key of Valour (June). Judy Piatkus describes the process as requiring "a phenomenal amount of organising, planning, activity and teamwork".

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