Lightning Books bags print sequel to May's Kindle hit

Lightning Books has bagged Nicola May’s print sequel to her Kindle hit The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, in a deal that will see her retain e-book rights.

May’s novel, her ninth self-published book, reached the top spot on the UK Kindle charts and is currently its number one romantic comedy.

In February, Lightning Books launched a new paperback edition of The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay, with May retaining e-book rights. Now Scott Pack, the publisher’s editor-at-large, has signed a similar deal for its sequel, Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay, acquiring world English rights for the print edition. It will be published in September.

The publisher explained: “Meet Me in Cockleberry Bay, the second volume in a proposed trilogy, reunites London-bred Rosa, the surprise inheritor of a shop in an idyllic Devon village, with the cast of local characters she encountered in the first book. Newly wed, and with her shop successfully up and running, Rosa seems to have it all – but her suspicions that her husband is having an affair produce dire consequences. Reaching rock bottom before she can climb back up to the top, she is forced to face her fears, addiction and jealousy head on.”

Pack said: “It may be unorthodox these days for a publisher to let an author keep their e-book rights but Nicola has done an amazing job of self-publishing her books and got to number one on Amazon all by herself, so she should absolutely keep those rights. If she relinquished them to a publisher she’d be receiving a lower royalty, and it isn’t as if a publisher could improve on her e-book chart position or sales. What we, as her publisher, can do, is get her print edition into bookshops across the globe, and we are delighted to have the chance to do that.’

May added: “Allowing me flexibility and control of my works, plus offering a direct and friendly relationship makes Lightning the perfect publishing match for me as an author.”