The news is out! Welcome to the 2026 Debutante Ball ✨
We are seven debut authors whose books will be traditionally published across a variety of genres in 2026.
If you’re not following @thedebball yet (or our individual accounts!) please join us as we:
📚 Share our publishing journeys and draw on the wisdom of the authors who came before us
🎉 Boost not just each other but many, many more debut titles being released this year (it's going to be one for the books, truly!)
⭐ Offer an inside look at our writing processes, some of the individual steps we took to get here, what publishing has been like so far, and much more!
We are so excited to continue this wonderful tradition of authors supporting other authors. You can read more about our books (and past Deb Ball classes!) at thedebutanteball.substack.com.
#authorsofinstagram #debutauthor #debutnovel #bookstagram #2026debuts
A word to the wise: wedding planning will eat you alive! 👰💕😱🌱
The Debs are gearing up for the release of UNTIL DEATH by Mary Berman on Tuesday, May 19! Shot through with wicked humor, pitch-black horror, and unexpected romance, this deliciously dark and funny send-up of the wedding industrial complex will have you so excited for whatever the wonderful Mary Berman does next.
You still have time to get those pre-orders in, folks! Take it from the Debs: you don't want to miss this one. Ophelia Cohen is a delight, and you’ll want to know exactly what she has to sacrifice if her and her mother hope to survive her special day. We love love!
#debutauthor #horrornovel #newbooks #TBRPile #UntilDeath #bookstagram
“The night before the ceremony, Mary Foreman dreamed of teeth.”
I'm thrilled to reveal the cover of my debut novel, HAIL MARY, releasing on September 22.
HAIL MARY follows Mary Foreman, who returns to her hometown to help her estranged family during a scandal-plagued election. But when the opening of a decades-old time capsule at her alma mater (a Catholic school for girls where she now teaches) draws her into a criminal investigation tied to her family’s funeral empire, she must fight to prove her innocence. Not only of recent crimes, put past ones, too. For this is the North Shore of Lake Huron, and the past is always present where the dead don’t die.
A million thanks to Claire Sullivan (@csullivandesign ) for this masterpiece. The tooth. The flames. This GREEN. It’s about to become my entire personality. And thank you to the uber talented Ashley Tate (@ashleytateauthor ) for these kind words. Someone needs to get me “oh-so-perfectly gruesome” on a shirt asap. More blurb reveals to come.
HAIL MARY is available for pre-order wherever you buy your books (don’t forget your local indie!). Details in the link in my bio. Pre-order campaign details coming soon (keep those receipts!). In the meantime, tell your friends! Tell your family! Tell your dog (Harriet is stoked)! #coverreveal #newbooks #booknews
Today on Substack, the debs are celebrating Mary Berman’s upcoming debut (get those pre0rders in!) and talking about one of the biggest tools in an author’s arsenal: voice!
🔗 in stories!
April news!!!
Upcoming launches, reviews, and events! Check out our stories to see what the debs have been up to & what we’re looking forward to (and maybe grab a ticket to come see us!)
Beyond excited to share one of the secretssss that’s been hanging out in my inbox: Chase Me If You Can, my storm chaser rivals to lovers romance debut, was acquired (at auction!) by @michaeljbooks who will publish the UK edition on June 25th!
It’s available now for pre-0rder at all your favorite UK edition places AND it’s now available to request on UK Netgalley (clicky thing in the usual clicky place)! Gentle reminder that all Netgalley approvals are handled by my publisher.
This one means a lot to me. When I was in Edinburgh in September, I took myself off to Waterstones. The one with that dreamy view of the castle and all the gorgeous woodwork inside. I went and found where my book would sit on the shelf, squeezed my eyes shut, and hoped that I’d be able to come back in a year or two and have it be reality. And now here we are!
Special shoutout to my @thedebball babes, who were on a call with me when the news hit my inbox and witnessed this discovery in real time. There is such magic and joy in sharing a milestone moment with your fellow authors 💜
📖 CHASE ME IF YOU CAN
🌪️ down bad MMC
⚡️ characters in their 30s
🌪️ just one car
⚡️ child free HEA
🌪️ women in male dominated fields
⚡️ men in backwards baseball hats
🌪️ a pathetic amount of yearning
⚡️ yelling at tornadoes
🌪️ shower selfies
⚡️ spicy photoshoot
Curious what the debs have been up to this month? We’re celebrating @samjamtimtam ’s debut, Marley Rose-Teter’s cover reveal, and fantastic trade reviews for @shastagrant & Mary Berman! Click through in stories to read all about it and don’t forget to grab your copy of Prodigal Tiger!
HAPPY PUB DAY to our very own @samjamtimtam !! To celebrate, the debs are sharing their blurbs of this brand new YA novel full of ghosts, magic, and Malaysian culture. Go grab a copy today!
ICYMI, a quick trope map/comps/character guide/events guide to Prodigal Tiger, my Malaysian YA contemporary fantasy book dropping THIS TUESDAY, March 17, 2026. Consider it your crash course before Caroline roars onto shelves! This book is for anyone who has ever wondered what home really means, and what it means to even make one.
come listen to me and @katchowrites and @author_t_a_chan yap in New York and San Jose respectively!! would love to see you there.
See you all so soon 💕 2 MORE DAYS TO GO 🐯
PRODIGAL TIGER didn't exist in a vacuum. It's built on stories I heard from my childhood, sensory memories I absorbed growing up and going back, and countless random questions texted to the family group chat. ("WHAT DO YOU CALL A WALKWAY THAT HAS ARCHES AND ALSO HAS OLD STORES?" not a riddle - an actual text i sent)
The full breakdown of how I built the world of PRODIGAL TIGER is in @thedebball 's newest Substack. L1nk in the b1o to read more, and be sure to subscribe to hear more from my fellow Debs <3 More to come soon.
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My Malaysian YA fantasy debut PRODIGAL TIGER (March 17 2026, Putnam Young Readers/Penguin) follows Caroline Chua, a young witch who returns home to Penang, Malaysia, to find her missing brother, only to realise there are supernatural forces at play... and if she wants to find her brother, she's going to have to fight more than a few ghosts to get him back.
featuring:
🌴 action-packed scenes
🌴 malaysian lore and so much food
🌴 a diasporic character trying to navigate complicated feelings about home
It's an exciting next few weeks for the Debs! We've got:
🎉 The launch of PRODIGAL TIGER by @samjamtimtam
🎉 A Goodreads giveaway for CHASE ME IF YOU CAN by @heatherfrancesauthor
🎉 Two readings for @shastagrant
🎉 A conversation with @mjsoniauthor
And make sure to watch this space for the upcoming cover reveal for Marley Rose-Teter’s THE BONE BRIDES.
Head on over to our Substack to read the full article and make sure you subscribe. Next up, we have a deep-dive feature about how Samantha brought the rich world of PRODIGAL TIGER to life.
#debutnovel #authorsofinstagram
Something new this way comes!
Come back on Monday, February 9th to meet the Author Debutante Ball Class of 2026. We’re so excited to meet you! For now, some hints:
🌪 🦴 🐅 🦷 👰 ☕ 🌲
#authorsofinstagram #debutauthor #debutnovel #bookstagram #2026debuts
