Importance/Definition of "Debut Novel" status

AFAIK, debut status is extremely important in marketing.Tabula rasa covers a lot of sins, and debut novelists get a lot of leeway in reviews.

It's important enough that some publishers misrepresent previously (often self-pubbed or vanity) published works as 'debut' novels. From what I've seen, these publishers have other problems, too.

'Debut' applied to a specific book means that book has never been published. 'Debut' applied to authors can be trickier to apply to a new pen name. I know of two well-known genre authors whose careers tanked. They then released novels as 'debut' authors, either in the same or slightly different genres. Their identities are not really a secret, and they are writing new works.

For purposes of award nominations, if you have ever published a novel in any category, under any name, you are ineligible for submission as a debut.

For marketing purposes, your publisher can define the term as they see fit. JK Rowling's pseudonymous book was presented as a debut. Agents trying to get around sales data have submitted authors to publishers as debut novelists under fake names.

djf881 said:

For purposes of award nominations, if you have ever published a novel in any category, under any name, you are ineligible for submission as a debut.

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I am not entirely sure, I understand this sentence. Debut authors are ineligible for awards?

djf881 said:

For purposes of some award nominations, if you have ever published a novel in any category, under any name, you are ineligible for submission as a debut.

For marketing purposes, your publisher can define the term as they see fit. JK Rowling's pseudonymous book was presented as a debut. Agents trying to get around sales data have submitted authors to publishers as debut novelists under fake names.

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Fixed it for ya

Captcha said:

Is being labelled a "debut novel" a significant marketing advantage?

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It's the kiss of death.

The Cynic's Dictionary (mine) defines 'debut novel' thus:

"This stuff may be pure shit, but he's the boss's nephew and we could barely say no. So we gave it a minimum printing of 2000 copies and paid a couple of unknown celebrities fifty bucks to put their names on pre-written blurbs. Now we're putting it on the shelves, in the wan hope that someone who's just come in out of the sun will actually open their wallet and spend money on this thing without looking inside first."

I don't think I'd call a published writer trying his/er hand in a new genre would be called a debut author. The words 'a daring departure from [over-the-top praise]' will be used instead.

Please, God, don't ever let anyone call me a 'debut author'. Come to think of it, it's too late.

As a reader all "debut" means to me is "you've probably never heard of him/her".

djf881 said:

For purposes of award nominations, if you have ever published a novel in any category, under any name, you are ineligible for submission as a debut.

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Just to clarify - there are awards for "Best Debut Author" or "Best New Author" that are only awarded to authors who have never published anything before.

Also, from what I've read, being a debut author can either really help your chances getting an agent or can really hurt them. Some agents see "debut" as "amateur" but some see it as a great marketing opportunity. Some take it as a fact of the job - established authors are more likely to have an agent already, so most submissions are from debut authors. The one thing most agree on, though, is that if all your previous publications were through self-publishers or a vanity press, you're better off leaving that out of a query.

All it means is they've probably never heard of you. No real negative connotations.

I've got an additional question about this topic.

I sold my first novel earlier this year and my editor and the publisher are all super excited about it, yada yada. Well, my editor mentioned something today that has be scratching my head a little bit. A part of me likes the idea, a part of me doesn't.

He asked if I might have something they can publish as an ebook before I publish the book I already have contracted with them (scheduled for next summer). It's almost like a promotional thing to get readers invested in me as a author and they'd put the first chapter of the other novel in the back of it.

I've never heard of this being a thing. Like sure, using one book to help promote another, developing readership, that's all fine and dandy but not quite like this.

Wouldn't this be kind of taking the thunder away from my "first" novel? Isn't a "debut" kind of a good thing, like you want that to set a precedence of what you'll be like as an author? Not that I think whatever book I publish first will be bad or anything but I think the one I have contracted is pretty powerful.

Since my publisher is a small press, maybe there isn't really much hope for me getting into debut novel awards (I have no idea).

I fully plan on asking about this and bringing up my concerns but I kind of wanted to ask on here to get some other views on it first (I'm meeting them in person in a little over a week so I plan on bringing it up then)

I've considered maybe suggesting making the "pre-novel" a novella instead. It would do the same thing but would allow Naked to still be my debut novel, technically (or does that still take you out of the running of those contests? Like I said, I don't know if that's even an issue but I'd like to know

This is becoming a standard gambit for some publishers. If a short story or novella is released as a teaser, it doesn't take away from the novel's debut status.

Filigree said:

This is becoming a standard gambit for some publishers. If a short story or novella is released as a teaser, it doesn't take away from the novel's debut status.

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As far as Tromboli's question, debut generally refers to a specific form/length. So, if you release a novella or a short story to drum up interest for a novel, the novel is still a "debut" novel. It was a bit unclear in the post what the publisher meant by the term "e-book". If they mean a separate novel, then I think most people would agree that would qualify as the true debut, but if not, then the above comment on form/length applies.

PulpDogg said:

I am not entirely sure, I understand this sentence. Debut authors are ineligible for awards?

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No, the opposite I think. There are certain awards that are meant specifically for debut authors, and some that are intended for newer writers (usually defined as being within a set time period after the publication of their first novel). I think the Campbell award for SF and F is one such. It would be disingenuous for someone who has written a few novels already to change their name and have their work submitted for an award intended for new or debut authors.

They we're asking for a full length work. I thought of asking to make it a novella instead (unless I miss understood him). Thanks for the responses. I'll discuss it with him when we meet next week.

Marketed properly, a tie-in story can be an incredible sales tool.

Filigree said:

Marketed properly, a tie-in story can be an incredible sales tool.

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But releasing a full-length novel before the "debut"? That seems weird.

Yeah, that doesn't compute. Tor did this with both Brandon Sanderson and Peter Orullian, by releasing teaser material before the actual release.

I'd ask for clarification from the editor.

Liosse de Velishaf said:

But releasing a full-length novel before the "debut"? That seems weird.

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Sure does. If there is another full-length novel to be published prior to the 'debut', you can hardly call the second one a debut or first novel.

They weren't planning on calling it a debut if they publish one before it. They never mentioned anything about debut status at all. That's what MY concern is. That I'll be losing debut status on the book I have contracted to publish an ebook for promotion. I just don't know if its worth that loss or not. Does debut really mean that much? Am I over thinking it?

Their thought is that I'll gain a readership before the book they hope will do really well is out so I'll have kind of a running start.

In that case, no, your debut status isn't all that important.




That said, this still sounds really weird. What publisher are you with?

I was on a debut author panel once

three of the four of us confessed that technically we were not debuts (for myself, I was a debut to fantasy. One other had got pubbed but the small pub went bust about two weeks later leaving her book in limbo. I forget the third...ETA Oh yes, he'd published some "non fic" about fantasy fighting styles, but it was his first novel)

Make of that what you will

It's in my signature but Entangled.

Tromboli said:

Their thought is that I'll gain a readership before the book they hope will do really well is out so I'll have kind of a running start.

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I have questions that I'd want answered if it were me. Is the ebook free to readers; is that why it's considered promotional? Also, if they feel it's good enough to garner a readership, why aren't they buying that one? And if they think only the second one is truly awesome, how would publishing the first one that's not so awesome (if that's what they're saying by not picking it up) help gain a readership? Couldn't it do more harm than good? Just some stuff I'd be asking myself if it were me.

Who said anything about them not buying it? They're talking hypothetically, we haven't even discussed what book it would be. I haven't submitted anything else to them but I was asked if I had anything else and I said I was working on some other things. Then they suggested this idea of putting something out before Naked, my YA contemporary (it would be bought and contracted the same way, just only ebook. No print). We've not discussed anything further from there. I'll ask lots of questions next week.