Taussig signs Rigby, Dunnett and Greenwood in first acquisitions for Storm Publishing

Kathryn Taussig has signed her first authors for Storm Publishing, the new digital publisher founded by Oliver Rhodes, which launched in October this year.

Taussig, formerly Bookouture’s publishing director and one of several former Bookouture staff members who joined Rhodes to launch Storm Publishing, acquired world rights in all formats, including film and television, to a new Cornwall-set crime series by Sally Rigby, the author of two self-published detective series and psychological thrillers, under a pen name for Boldwood Books.

She said she was “thrilled” to have the opportunity of working with Storm, “a truly cutting-edge publisher with such incredibly talented people leading the way".

Rigby continued that “their vision for my new Cavendish & Walker spin-off series, set in Cornwall, is both exciting and innovative and I can’t wait for it to be in the hands of my readers".

Taussig has also acquired world rights in all formats to a new psychological thriller and the first two books in a detective series by Gregg Dunnett, whose debut crime novel The Things you find in Rockpools (Pole Hill Press), sold over 100,000 copies, according to the publisher, and has been translated into several languages and is being considered for screen adaptation.

He said: “Since I began self-publishing six years ago, I’ve been lucky enough to connect with some readers, but I’ve always struggled with some aspects of editing and publishing. That’s why I’m so thrilled to be joining Storm. Oliver has assembled a team of some of the best in the business and I’m super excited to work with them to elevate my stories to the next level. 

“My books usually include some element of the oceans or coast too, so the name is perfect too – I love a good Storm!"

Taussig signed author Juliet Greenwood, striking a world rights deal for two historical novels with Judith Murdoch of the Judith Murdoch Literary Agency. The first of the books, The Shakespeare Sisters, is “a beautiful story of love and sisterhood set during World War Two” and will be published in May.

Greenwood said “working with Kathryn has been an inspiration” and that “she has taken my storytelling to a whole new level, and has pushed me with generosity, intelligence and humour to become the best I can be.

“She has made me fall in love even more with my first historical novel for Storm, and I can’t wait to work with her on the rest of the series. Let the adventure begin…”

Taussig said of the acquisitions: “I couldn’t be happier to have found three authors like Gregg, Sally and Juliet. All three of them bring not only stellar sales and enormous writing talent to the list, but also a track record in creating unputdownable stories.”

Storm said it is actively acquiring for its launch list and accepts both agented and direct submissions in all commercial fiction genres.