Ebury to publish parenting book to tackle social anxiety

Ebury Publishing imprint Vermilion has acquired a new coaching book for parents called Why Will No One Play With Me in a mid-five figure deal.

The book, authored by social skills expert Caroline Maguire, is about coaching children to overcome social anxiety, peer rejection and bullying, and is described by its author as "a book for all parents who feel worried that their child isn’t fitting in".

Its editor, senior commissioning editor Samantha Jackson, called it "truly empowering and potentially life-changing". "It addresses a massive gap in the market – that coaching and tutoring is all aimed at academic performance, but, really, if your child can’t make friends this is far more disruptive and worrying for children and parents alike," she said. 

Jackson pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights from Lorella Belli at Lorella Belli Literary Agency Ltd on behalf of Dado Derviskadic and Steve Troha at Folio Literary Management. 

Why Will No One Play With Me is scheduled for UK publication in trade paperback in September 2019.