Welbeck signs print only deal with thriller writer Dawson

Welbeck Publishing Group has signed a worldwide print only deal with thriller writer Mark Dawson.

The company, set-up by Marcus Leaver and Mark Smith this year, aims to establish Dawson as “a leading international thriller writer”.

Dawson is the writer of the John Milton, Beatrix Rose and Isabella Rose series, which have only been released in digital and audio formats before.

In a deal through Annabel Merullo at PFD, Welbeck will release the John Milton books, previously published by Unputdownable, in print formats around the world, beginning with first book The Cleaner in April 2020. Follow-up instalments will be published every three months.

Welbeck executive director Mark Smith explained: “I have been a fan of Mark Dawson's for a number of years and have wanted to be his publisher ever since I read The Cleaner and then quickly devoured the subsequent 13 novels.

“Mark is at the top of his game with the John Milton series and we look forward to reaching millions of new fans who have not yet discovered this brilliant character. Having only been available to readers in digital and audio formats in the past, we look forward to building a bigger audience for Mark's work among readers who prefer to read in the printed form."

Dawson said he had been looking for a publisher to make the Milton books more widely available for years.

He said: “The series has already sold over a million copies around the world, and has a rapidly growing fan base of readers who also enjoy Reacher, Ryan, Cross and Rapp. My own reading preference is digital, but it can’t be ignored that a large proportion of the market still prefers to read in print. Milton prefers to travel under the radar, but his creator does not; this deal offers new readers the chance to meet Milton when he might otherwise have remained unknown to them. I can’t wait to get started.”