Penguin UK's Children's Division to Publish YA Novel by 16-Year-Old Emily Baker
October 09, 2012
Penguin UK's children's division will be publishing 16-year-old Emily Baker's debut young-adult novel. The book, Loving the Band, started off as a fan fiction story about a love triangle involving two members from the boy band One Direction. Baker penned and digitally shared a romantic story; little did she know that her story would eventually draw 30,000 readers including senior fiction editor Lindsey Heaven.
"In a press release, Penguin said they had been looking to commission a writer to pen a romantic YA novel that 'tapped into the current obsession with boy bands.' At the same time, senior fiction editor Lindsey Heaven said she was browsing online youth writing community Movellas.com when her attention was drawn to Baker’s story. 'We at Penguin Children’s are delighted to be publishing Loving the Band. Emily’s novel is fresh, romantic, current and completely taps into today’s pop culture. Her love of a certain boy band is heartfelt and her passion feeds into every bit of her writing.'"