Coming of age for any age: behind the scenes of new imprint First Ink
We take a first look at First Ink, our new YA imprint, and some of the incredible books you'll be able to read soon.
First Ink is a new YA/crossover imprint at Pan Macmillan which celebrates coming of age for any age: first love, first experiences, first time finding your voice and your place in the world. Inspired by the vibrant YA BookTok community, First Ink will publish across genres, including rom-coms, fantasy and romantasy. Here, the First Ink team introduce some of the books they can't wait for you to read, plus we explain what an imprint actually is. . .
What’s the difference between a publishing company and an imprint?
A publishing company is the overall business that acquires, edits, produces, sells and distributes books. An imprint is a section or division of that overall company which specialises in a particular genre or style, or in publishing books aimed at a particular audience. It's usually the name of the imprint that you'll find on the spine of the book. In our case, Pan Macmillan is the publishing company, and Pan Fiction, Picador, Bluebird, Tor, Two Hoots and Kingfisher are some of our imprints.
Why do publishing houses have imprints?
Imprints enable publishers to create distinct identities for different areas of their publishing, designed to appeal to different groups of readers. Imprints are helpful for readers (and booksellers) too: once you get to know an imprint, you'll have an idea of what kind of book you're picking up and whether you're likely to enjoy it. For example, our Tor imprint specialises in science fiction and fantasy, Picador is our literary imprint, and Bluebird publishes non-fiction mainly in the lifestyle and wellbeing space.
As well as being a branding and marketing tool, imprints are helpful for the inner workings of a publishing house, too. Editors tend to work across just one or two imprints, gaining and utilising expertise in their particular area, both in terms of the publishing process (which will be very different between say, a picture book created by an author and illustrator team, and a thriller) and really knowing their market and readers.
Introducing new imprint, First Ink
First Ink publishes coming of age fiction for any age and across genres. And how better to get to know us than through our books? Here, members of the First Ink team and the online bookish community share the upcoming releases they're excited for.
‘For She is Wrath! Because aren't we all?’
@bookie_mama_bear
For She is Wrath
by Emily Varga
'For She is Wrath by Emily Varga has been different from any other books I've worked on or read before and already I know it's going to blow people's minds,' says Senior Press Officer, Beth. 'It's a Pakistani-inspired romantasy and gender flipped retelling of The Count of Monte Cristo and has the high-stakes I love in a fantasy.' Beth has been working on the PR for First Ink's launch titles. 'I often speak directly with readers at events or through working with reviewers, and we work with influencers, journalists, teachers and librarians. Because of this we could see that there was a need for us to have a list of books for our YA/crossover readers, and for readers who get lots of their recommendations from social media. It's so exciting to be part of First Ink as the list is full of books that I really love as a reader.'
‘When Haru Was Here – I love sad queer lit!’
@kellys.bookverse
When Haru Was Here
by Dustin Thao
Get ready to cry with Dustin again. This is the new book from the bestselling author of You've Reached Sam. After the death of his best friend, Eric Ly creates imaginary scenarios in his head to deal with his grief. And then one of them becomes real. A boy he met last summer – Haru Tanaka – walks into the coffee shop and sits down next to him. The only thing is, nobody else can see him. Eric suddenly has someone to connect with, making him feel less alone in the world. But as they spend more time together, he begins to question what is real. Soon Eric is losing control of the very thing that is holding him together, and must confront his reality. Even if it means losing Haru forever.
‘Some Like It Cold, 'cause we need more own voices autistic rep.’
@ridiculusreads
Some Like It Cold
by Elle McNicoll
'I can't wait for readers to fall in love with Jasper and Arthur and their love story. Elle's YA romance is a big hearted small town romance you won't want to miss!' says Marketing Manager, Charlie, who has loved working on the marketing campaign for Elle McNicoll's debut, 'breaking Elle's brilliant voice into a new older readership, the swoony story, and amplifying an autistic romantic lead.'
Art Director Rachel agrees: 'An enemies-to-lovers romance will suck me in every time, especially when set against a wintery backdrop. I've always been a fan of Elle's writing, but the depth and vulnerability of her characters in this story are particularly striking.'
Rachel's role was to conceptualise and design the First Ink logo. 'My goal was to create a design that is clean, yet bold and expressive, mirroring First Ink's philosophy of centering around the readers while avoiding the confines of a specific genre. Recognising our titles' presence in the BookTok community, I aimed for a design that feels modern and contemporary, yet possesses a classic quality to ensure it remains relevant as our audiences evolve.'
Legend of the White Snake
by Sher Lee
'I'm super excited for Legend of the White Snake by Sher Lee. Inspired by Chinese folklore, this is a highly readable, queer romantasy. Definitely one that readers won't be able to put down,' says Sarah, Head of Marketing. 'I enjoy getting to know our readers and putting them front and centre of our activity. We recently hosted a silent disco at the annual Waterstones BookFest, all of the songs were chosen by our authors, and the audience at the event loved it!'
The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King
by Harry Trevaldwyn
Editor Charlie is excited for Harry Trevaldwyn's debut YA romantic comedy, The Romantic Tragedies of a Drama King: 'Our main protagonist, Patch, is as hilarious as Bridget Jones and Georgia Nicholson, and will have readers belly laughing through every page. Patch is simply iconic, and this story begins the year he decides he should get a boyfriend. Anyone will do really. . . assuming they meet his criteria. Cue Peter (an American who's just moved from New York), and his best friend Sam. With Patch's alarming level of self-confidence, and his mum's outdated self-help book, his pursuit of love is sure to be a complete success. With perhaps just a few mishaps. . .'
‘A Tempest of Tea: the found family/friendship and betrayal vibes are everything.’
@threadedinfiction
A Tempest of Tea
by Hafsah Faizal
The only thing better than a swoon-worthy romance, is a swoon-worthy romance with vampires. In A Tempest of Tea we meet Arthie Casimir, a criminal mastermind and collector of secrets in the city of White Roaring. By day she runs a tearoom, but by night this transforms into an illegal bloodhouse for the city's vampires. When her establishment is threatened she is forced to call on society's outcasts to infiltrate the vampire society known as the Athereum. But not everyone in her ragtag crew is on her side, and as the truth behind the heist unfolds, Arthie finds herself in the midst of a conspiracy.
Of Flame and Fury
by Mikayla Bridge
'I can't wait for readers to get their hands on debut author Mikayla Bridge's explosive fantasy Of Flame and Fury. With deadly phoenixes, edge-of-your-seat action and a smouldering enemies-to-lovers romance, this is sure to be one of the hottest books of next summer,' says Editorial Director, Cate. Her role at First Ink is to acquire and edit books that will speak to the First Ink audience: 'I have to know the audience, what they're reading, think about how and why our next book will appeal to them and then work with the author to make the manuscript as good as it can possibly be.'
The Sleepless
by Jen Williams
'This book has absolutely everything I love in a fantasy and more – epic world-building, a high-stakes quest, gods, monsters and sizzling character chemistry. It's a compulsive enemies-to-lovers romantasy (with the most unique love triangle I've ever come across) and I could lose myself for days in Jen Williams' magnificent writing,' enthuses Publishing Director, Emma. 'I am publishing director for fiction, including First Ink, and excited to be actively acquiring new First Ink projects for 2025 and 2026. We're not constrained by genre, and are working on a list that includes fantasy, romantasy, thriller, horror, romance and humour. The best of all worlds!'
