William Morrow Announces Witness, a Digital Mystery/Thriller Imprint

Posted on April 30, 2013

William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins, has announced the launch of Witness, a new digital-original mystery, suspense and thriller line. Witness will launch in October 2013. A website for Witness will officially launch later this year.

William Morrow says its editors have already acquired more than 100 full-length books for Witness. 10 titles will be published within the first month of the launch of Witness. William Morrow says they are actively seeking additional titles for the launch. William Morrow says authors published by Witness will have a dedicated team, including individualized strategic marketing and publicity campaign. Witness will have the same royalty structure as William Morrow/Avon's other digital-first imprints. Initial royalties start at 25% until an author's work reach 10,000 copies sold. Authors receive a 50% royalty once their book sells 10,000 copies. Authors will not receive an advance.

Witness will also feature digital versions of Agatha Christie's short stories. In the Fall, Witness will release all the Hercule Poirot short stories as digital singles, and then together in a single omnibus edition with a foreword by Charles Todd.

Dan Mallory, executive editor at William Morrow is spearheading the publishing initiative. Mallory said in a statement, "Our starting lineup gives an indication of the editorial scope of the imprint. It's an exciting collection of brand-new content, international bestsellers not previously available in the U.S., and newly digitized backlist classics. It runs the gamut from police procedurals to literary suspense; historical mysteries to action thrillers."