Lily and the Octopus

Lily and the Octopus

First edition cover
Author Steven Rowley
Country United States
Language English
Publisher Simon & Schuster
Publication date
 June 7, 2016
Media type
Pages 320
ISBN 978-1-50-112622-2

Lily and the Octopus is the upcoming debut novel of Steven Rowley.

Plot

A young writer finds that a small octopus has attached itself to the head of his aging dachshund, Lily.

Background

Rowley, a 43-year-old paralegal and screenwriter, had sold several unproduced screenplays before writing a short story about the death of his dachshund, Lily, to cope with his grief.[1][2][3] Rowley's boyfriend encouraged him to expand it into an novel.[2] Rowley wrote Lily and the Octopus in 100 days and submitted it to approximately 30 literary agents, who all declined to represent him.[3] Rowley said of the manuscript, "I was proud of it as a piece of writing, but I never thought that this was going to change my life."[3]

Intending to self-publish, Rowley hired freelance editor Molly Pisani, who later pitched the novel to her former colleague, Karyn Marcus of Simon & Schuster.[1][2][3] Impressed by the quality of the book,[1] Marcus forwarded it to Simon & Schuster editor-in-chief Marysue Rucci.[3] According to Marcus:

I woke up to an email that [Ms. Rucci] had sent me at 3 in the morning, saying "this book is incredible, I wept real tears, you must buy it" ... We knew immediately it was going to be a big book for us, and the advance certainly reflected that.[3]

In April 2015, Publishers Weekly reported that Marcus had acquired the novel for Simon & Schuster in a "nearly seven-figure" book deal.[1] The Hollywood Reporter noted that the offer "was made with unusual speed",[2] with The New York Observer calling it "a timeline unheard of in the slow-paced publishing industry".[3]

Publication

Lily and the Octopus is scheduled for publication in June 2016.[3]

Reception

Booklist praised Lily and the Octopus as "an exceedingly authentic, keenly insightful, and heartbreakingly poignant tribute to the purity of love between a pet and its human".[4] Publishers Weekly called the novel "sensitive, hilarious, and emotionally rewarding", adding that "in generous helpings of bittersweet humanity, Rowley has written an immensely poignant and touchingly relatable tale".[5] Kirkus Reviews wrote, "In his funny, ardent, and stanchly kooky way, Rowley expresses exactly what it's like to love a dog."[6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Deahl, Rachel (April 3, 2015). "Surprise Project Becomes Simon & Schuster's Big London Book". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Lewis, Andy (April 10, 2015). "Screenwriter Nabs Near-Million-Dollar Deal for Debut Novel". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Bloomgarden-Smoke, Kara (January 13, 2016). "Meet the Unknown Author of the Next Blockbuster Novel". The New York Observer. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Lily and the Octopus: Praise". Simon & Schuster. Archived from the original on May 6, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Review: Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley". Kirkus Reviews. March 15, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2016.
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