Wilkinson to give up day job after new Pan Mac deal

Author Kerry Wilkinson is to give up his day job as a BBC sports journalist after signing a deal for a further three books with Pan Macmillan.

The publisher has signed UK and Commonwealth rights in three more books in Wilkinson's Jessica Daniel series, with the first in the deal, the seventh Jessica Daniel title, to be published in early 2014.

Wilkinson said in his blog: “Essentially, I’ve been trying to juggle two full-time jobs for two years now . . . The problem is that I simply cannot fit it all in any longer, so had to make a decision."

He added: "As far as I know, I’m the only UK-born/based person to self-publish through Amazon and then go on to have a paperback in the UK’s top-20 chart. I’ve also now sold over half-a-million books in the UK . . . and it’s all gone a bit beyond me sitting on my sofa trying to do two jobs.”

Wilkinson was first snapped up by Pan Macmillan for a six-book print and digital deal after his first Jessica Daniel book Locked in became the top-selling Kindle book in the last quarter of 2011.

Trisha Jackson, editorial director for fiction at Pan Macmillan said: “Not only are we thrilled to have acquired three more Jessica Daniel books from Kerry,  so are his readers. He’s created an incredibly strong series character who has attracted a large number of fans. Think of the Children, the first new book into print, entered the top 20 last month after its first week on sale. We will publish two more titles this year with the new books coming in 2014/2015.”

This autumn will also see the publication of the first novel in his YA trilogy The Silver Blackthorn Series.