Bad Publicity by Bianca Gillam acquired by Bloomsbury in a Significant Pre-Empt

Bloomsbury General pre-empt a new British romance star

Darcy Nicholson, publishing director for general fiction at Bloomsbury’s new commercial division, Bloomsbury General, has successfully pre-empted World rights in Bad Publicity and another as yet untitled novel by Bianca Gillam from Elizabeth Counsell at Northbank Talent Management in a major deal.

The Bloomsbury Rights team will be taking this to Frankfurt as their hot-off-the-press book of the bok fair. Bloomsbury General will publish in spring 2025.

Bad Publicity is a classic enemies-to-lovers romance. It tells the story of Andie who has just landed her dream job as a Senior Publicist in a publishing house in New York. On her first day she is told she’ll be going on a month-long tour with the company’s biggest author Jack Carlson, known better to Andie as the man who broke her heart at University. One month in Europe with a man she definitely doesn’t still have feelings for… what could possibly go wrong?

Bianca Gillam is Assistant Editor at Head of Zeus where she publishes across the spectrum of commercial fiction.

Darcy Nicholson says: ‘I’ve not felt like this about a debut since I published The Love Hypothesis. Bianca’s writing is assured, funny and it really delivers on the emotional front, too. The market has long needed a British author in this space and I’m overjoyed to have found her in Bianca Gillam; Bad Publicity will be a bright star in the firmament for our new list here at Bloomsbury.’

Bianca Gillam says: ‘Thrilled doesn’t even begin to describe it. The last few months have been surreal: Elizabeth is my dream agent, Darcy is my dream editor, Bloomsbury is my dream publisher. I feel like I have the most wonderful team of people behind me and I’m so grateful. I wrote this book in a fever dream last year and I never could have imagined it would come to this! The confidence and vision both Northbank and Bloomsbury have shown in me is beyond my wildest imagination, and I can’t wait for what’s to come. I couldn’t have asked for a better home. I hope this can be an inspiration to anyone who has a story inside them: tell it. You never know what might happen.’

Elizabeth Counsell says: ‘Bianca is a very special writer. As soon as I read the first page of Bad Publicity, I knew she had created a character I would never forget – one who readers will laugh, learn and cry with. I also knew Darcy and the brilliant team at Bloomsbury would love it just as much as I did. It’s a match made in heaven (and New York and Berlin and Paris…).’

Author photo: Robin Christian