Heartstring Duet Books Win Sony Pictures Deal
Liv Zander's self-published dark fantasy romance series has been acquired by Requited and HQ and is being adapted for film.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Books
Sony Pictures has acquired rights to The Heartstring Duet, a dark fantasy romance series by Liv Zander, made up of Crown Me Dead and Crown Me Yours. The books were self-published one week apart in April 2026 and have since been acquired for print by Requited, an imprint of Hachette, in the U.S. and HQ, an imprint of HarperCollins, in the UK.
Why it matters
The deal shows how a self-published series can move into major publishing and film distribution after building a large readership independently. It also signals continued studio interest in romance and fantasy titles that began as online bestsellers.
The series' commercial reach is measured by Amazon's ranking and Kindle reads, with Crown Me Dead at No. 5 among all eBooks and more than 100 million page reads worldwide in three and a half months. The financial terms of the Sony Pictures rights acquisition and any production budget were not disclosed.
The players
Liv Zander
Zander is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author whose self-published dark fantasy romance series The Heartstring Duet drew a large online readership.
Sony Pictures
Sony Pictures is the film and television studio of Sony Corporation, a major Hollywood production company known for franchises across film and streaming.
Requited
Requited is a romance-focused imprint of the publisher Hachette, which acquired U.S. print rights to the Heartstring Duet books.
HQ
HQ is a fiction imprint of HarperCollins, the global publisher, which acquired UK rights to the Heartstring Duet books.
The details
Zander self-published Crown Me Dead and Crown Me Yours one week apart in April 2026, and the series went viral on the platform. Requited, an imprint of Hachette, acquired U.S. rights and HQ, an imprint of HarperCollins, acquired UK rights, and print editions were re-released in both markets this week.
Timeline
April 2026: Crown Me Dead and Crown Me Yours are self-published one week apart.
Spring 2026: Crown Me Dead climbs to No. 5 among all Amazon eBooks.
Three and a half months after publication: the books surpass 100 million Kindle page reads worldwide.
This week, November 2026: print editions are re-released in the U.S. and UK.
Industry Dynamics
The deal extends a pattern in which Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing has become a proving ground for romance titles that traditional imprints like Requited and HQ then pick up for print. It also reflects the studio interest in book-to-screen adaptations that has accelerated across the streaming era.
Readers in the U.S. and UK can now buy the print editions of Crown Me Dead and Crown Me Yours, which were re-released this week. The books were also translated into 14 languages, so international readers can find them in their own language.
The takeaway
Self-published authors who build a strong readership on Kindle may attract traditional publishers and film studios, so readers can watch for print and screen adaptations of titles that first gained traction online. Check the publisher imprints named here to find the official print editions.
Further reading
For more on the publishing trends behind this deal, explore the latest Books coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Deadline.
