Report: Lawrence author sells rights to debut novel for at least $1 million

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Lawrence author Kate Russell, who teaches creative writing and composition in the University of Kansas English department, recently sold the publishing rights to her debut novel "My Dark Vanessa" to to William Morrow, an imprint of the publishing company HarperCollins.

A local author is likely to make a splash with her debut novel.

Kate Russell, who teaches creative writing and composition in the University of Kansas English department, sold the publishing rights to her novel “My Dark Vanessa” to William Morrow, an imprint of the publishing company HarperCollins, according to an Entertainment Weekly report.

Russell sold the rights to the book for at least $1 million after a competitive bidding process, according to the report. Additionally, the rights to the book have been sold in 22 other countries.

Russell, who recently earned her doctorate from KU, is currently living below the poverty line, according to the report. She is originally from eastern Maine.

“I’m very excited,” Russell told the Journal-World. “(I’m) thrilled by the response so far.”

The report describes the book as “a story of psychosexual manipulation between a teenager and her English teacher, and the aftermath of their years-long affair,” and is inspired by Russell’s own experiences as a teenager.

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