‘The Office’ Star B.J. Novak Scores Seven-Figure Book Deal

The first book, a collection of stories, is scheduled for 2014.  

 

His manager Richard Abate told The New York Times that the book was analogous to Woody Allen‘s literary output. Others compared it to that of Joshua Ferris (Then We Came to the End).

 

Novak is adapting the stories from a series of live shows he performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade.

 

The paper also reported Novak received a seven-figure advance for the deal. Earlier, Publishers Weekly revealed that nine publishers were bidding on the proposal. 

 

Comedy memoirs have been hot sellers for publishers during the past several years, but it has been a category dominated by women.  

 

2013 already has seen major deals go to Lena Dunham, Judy Greer and Amy Poehler. 

 

Abate has become the go-to representative for comedy writers. Among his other clients are Tina Fey (Bossypants), Tracy Morgan (I Am the New Black) and Novak’s friend, Office co-star and one-time girlfriend Mindy Kaling (Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?). 

 

Novak, who grew up in the suburban Boston community of Newton (Office castmate John Krasinski was a high school classmate), comes from a writing family. His father, William Novak, is a well-known ghostwriter and collaborator, famously sharing cover credit with Lee Iacocca for Iacocca’s autobiography. 

 

Novak got his start on TV in MTV’s Punk’d before getting cast on The Office as Ryan Howard. Novak also has written for the show.

 

His film credits include Inglourious Basterds  and the upcoming Amazing Spider-Man 2.

 

He attended Harvard University, where he wrote for The Harvard Lampoon. 

 

E-mail: andy.lewis@thr.com; twitter: andyblewis