Britney's novel fetches thousands

Spears performing at the MTV Music Awards

LONDON, England -- British publisher Boxtree paid £500,000 ($724,200), scooping up the rights to singing-sensation Britney Spears' novel.

Spears, who hit the music world with her smash hit Baby One More Time, has completed her second novel titled A Mother's Gift.

A Boxtree spokesperson said: "I think it will be sweet. It's the kind of novel that mothers will buy for their teenager daughters or Britney's fans will lap up."

The book, about a teenage girl who wants to be a star, was snapped up in the United States by publishing giant Random House in December. It reportedly paid £692,000 ($1 million) for a two-book deal.

Spears's first foray into the literary world was the autobiography "Heart to Heart," written when she was 18.

It sold more than 150,000 copies and made the best-seller lists.

Spears, whose last album "Oops!...I Did It Again" has sold eight million copies, turning her success as a pop singer into a multi-million dollar corporate business.

Last month she signed a marketing deal with Pepsi to promote the company's soft drink. Terms of the contract were not disclosed, but were reported to rank alongside deals struck by other popular icons including golfer Tiger Woods and tennis star Venus Williams.

Woods is reportedly raking in £69 million ($100 m) over five years to promote Nike sports apparel and Williams has signed a five-year contract with Reebok for a reported £27 million ($40 m).

Spears has also signed to appear in her first feature film.

She will play a straight-laced high school student who enters a music competition with some friends.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Popstars smash Britney record
March 15, 2001

Britney Spears
Boxtree
Random House

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