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Headline is repackaging historical crime novelist Anne Perry in advance of her 57th novel Execution Dock, due out in April, aiming to replicate her international bestselling status in the UK.
This year is the 30th anniversary of the publication of Perry's first novel. Her two series featuring Victorian inspectors Thomas Pitt and William Monk have sold about 20 million books, and Perry is a bestseller in the US, France, Germany and Italy.
Victoria Mellor, Headline senior commissioning editor for crime, said: "We are thrilled to be Anne's publisher and wanted to celebrate that fact, so we started to think of ways to bring her sales more in line with other countries.
"There is a new cover look for both the Monk and the Pitt series, which we will probably reissue," she added. "We have moved her to B-format for the paperbacks, and are giving her a real push."
The hardback of Execution Dock in April will also sport the new-style cover, which Mellor described as "more modern, more atmospheric, more current" and said the reaction so far had been "fantastic". The rest of the backlist will follow according to demand.
Mellor said: "We are trying to bring her name to the forefront of historical crime. Anne is an absolute master of Victorian history." She said that there was "no specific reason" as to why Perry had been unable to match her international success in the UK. "She is a brilliant writer and deserves to have a much bigger profile."
Perry has already been booked to speak at nearly 30 events in the next six months, including the Aye Write and Edinburgh festivals, and in May she will be awarded the lifetime achievement award at the Malice Domestic Convention, an event for mystery fans held near Washington DC.
Execution Dock will also feature as book of the month for Headline's own Crime Files International website and mailing list. "It's a tough market," said Mellor. "We need to think carefully about how to maximise her sales."
The publisher is currently pitching for the repackaged paperback of her 56th novel Buckingham Palace Gardens, released next month, to feature in Waterstone's' crime three-for-two range and Borders' Spring Crime promotion.