Pan Macmillan wins The Chase in 'substantial' pre-empt

Pan Macmillan has won Jenny Wood’s The Chase in a "substantial" pre-empt within 12-hours of submission. The publisher beat three other attempted pre-empts after widespread interest on the eve of London Book Fair. 

Publishing director Mike Harpley acquired UK and British Commonwealth rights from Peggy Boulos Smith on behalf of Lisa DiMona at Writers House. Macmillan Business will publish The Chase: An Unconventional, Uninhibited, and Unapologetic Approach to Getting What You Want in Life in hardback, trade paperback, e-book and audio in early 2025.

Inspired by her experiences of climbing the ranks from entry level employee to Google executive, the synopsis said "the book offers straight-talking, research-based advice to help readers achieve their personal and professional goals".

Mike Harpley said: "Jenny’s advice is refreshingly honest, deliciously irreverent and unapologetically effective. It has proven irresistible to some of the smartest and most ambitious people on the planet. I can’t wait to share her wisdom with a very broad readership."

Wood is an operations executive at Google and the creator of Google’s Own Your Career programme. She shares tools and strategies in her newsletter, Big Small Things, and on LinkedIn. Before Google, she spent several years leading a programme at Harvard Business School as a research associate. 

She added: "Given today’s feverish pace of change, uncertainty around the future of work, and economic headwinds, it can feel paralysing to set goals, much less achieve them. But we still want to thrive, not just survive. A success mindset comes before success itself. I’m excited to work with Macmillan Business to empower readers to shift their mindset and take control of their path."