Dear Emerging Authors, Welcome back to the news that’s just for you. I hope it is the kind that you look forward to reading each month, just as I look forward to writing it. There is something wholly satisfying about sifting through a plethora of industry headlines to look for something good coming in the near future, that might actually be helpful to a budding author. And I don’t mean a future full of "Fake Intellectuals" either – check out last month’s column for that inside joke.

I will say, there have been some really eye-watering headlines this month, pointing to cloudy days ahead. Some made me burst into laughter, others not so much, and most of it reminded me that the future of the publishing industry is still in our hands, for better or worse. 

So let’s get into some of the better news, shall we? We’ll begin with prizes, because who doesn’t love those?

The Bookseller launches the New Adult Book Prize to celebrate one of the fastest-growing areas of fiction

I especially love a prize that recognises books that speak to the will of the people, and particularly an engaged audience. Enter the New Adult Book Prize – specifically recognising books that focus on "the transitional years… candidly referred to as ‘quarter life’". Think post-YA and pre-“I’ll be paying the dinner bill for the whole group”. 

This new type of book crosses genres and seems to resonate with a whole range of readers who understand what it means to go through radical changes in their lives, regardless of age. This is a growing area for publishing and you might be reading this thinking you have a protagonist and story arc that sits exactly in that place between adolescence and adulthood – in which case, you should already be preparing to submit your book to this prize.

As much as we might dislike it, prizes are important. Not always for your self-esteem or general worthiness as a writer, but to help more people find your book. In the UK publishing industry right now, prizes open doors. And thankfully, there are more prizes than ever before, focusing on different genres, multiple identities and various career junctures. Case and point is the latest prize for the more emerged author. 

As much as we might dislike it, prizes are important. Not always for your self-esteem or general worthiness as a writer, but to help more people find your book.

World of Books launches £15k Sustainable Story Award

This is not just any ordinary award; it is my favourite kind, with prizes for the winner, the runners-up and mentoring for future work. It aims to support “authors whose works promote environmental, social and economic sustainability”. 

This award has a very keen eye on the future, and those passionate about writing all of us into a better one. Such a feat is not an easy task for any writer, but for those who have already had a go around the publishing industry and are trying to change the direction or genre of their work into something that explores sustainability, this may be just the award for you. Just make sure you brush up that book proposal and the first three chapters now, and get it in before July.

And speaking of sustainability, let’s finish up with a pressing question of sustaining a presence as a new author:

BookTok, romantasy and follower counts: are future bestselling authors all going to be TikTok stars?

Without recounting the entire article to you, it is no secret that many book deals over the past few years have been given to writers with large social media followings and a ready-made audience for publishers to tap into. For the luddites and the already-overstimulated among us, this might sound like more bad news. I personally am more prone to doom-scrolling than posting on a semi-regular schedule to engage with my followers, and having to put energy into an online platform can, at times, feel like a full-time job. 

But with the golden age of Twitter well and truly behind us since that robot-car man took over, social media may not feel like the sure thing it once was. In fact, its instability is the very reason that as a new author, you should consider building your own audience. No, I don’t mean creating your own social media platform, but rather keeping your website updated, going back to blogging and maybe even starting a newsletter if you have the time and the energy. 

Rapidly changing industry trends and interests can make us feel like the future is slipping through our fingers, but we will always have control over the work that we produce. Publish your writing on your own platform. Build a subscriber or email list from readers you have interacted with. Start small and engage at your own pace. Talk about your work with people, and do not underestimate the power of word of mouth; because that’s probably how you heard about your favourite book, the thing that’s inspiring your future journey to become an author. Keep that in mind.