In just five years, Sourcebooks Fire, the YA imprint of Sourcebooks, has experienced tremendous growth, publishing more than 40 titles a year; doubling sales in 2014 and jumping another 25% last year; and publishing distinctive fiction and nonfiction titles in a range of YA categories. As children's librarian Katy Grant from the Shawnee Branch of the Louisville (Ky.) Free Public Library notes, "[Sourcebooks Fire] always bring[s] me the very best… I have read titles that I normally wouldn't have picked up and found myself glued to the titles until I finish reading them, and then sharing them with teens and even some adults."
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And Grant's sentiment has been echoed widely. Sourcebooks Fire has also seen great growth in the number of accolades received for its titles. 2015 brought the imprint 11 starred reviews and its first YA Indie Next Pick of the year (This Is Where It Ends by debut author Marieke Nijkamp was included on the Winter 2015-2016 list); and books by mainstay authors Geoff Herbach, Jeff Strand and Patty Blount have continued to have a presence on YALSA's annual reading lists. But perhaps most important of all, Sourcebooks Fire has taken great pride in putting out books that "deliver a lot of impact," as Todd Stocke, v-p and editorial director of Sourcebooks, says. "Touching lives and reaching as many people as possible" is key, adds Chris Bauerle, director of sales and marketing.
Independent bookstores are playing a larger-than-ever role in that overall mission. National sales manager Heidi Weiland notes that "key people in many indies know and love YA and are huge YA advocates." The imprint works with them as partners--staying in touch, sending marked-up ARCs and notes from editors and more--to find the right readers for the books. "We're handselling the handsellers," Stocke observes.
Often, Sourcebooks Fire titles are bestsellers at indies. Says Sara Grochowski of Brilliant Books, Traverse City, Mich.: "I read over 300 books per year and am always on the lookout for unique titles to recommend to customers. Sourcebooks Fire is one of my go-to imprints because, within in a relatively small title list, there are usually multiple titles that make both a lasting impression and ideal handsells. Looking for a great hook? Check. Memorable characters? Check. Underrepresented YA subgenres like thriller and humor? Double check."
Steve Geck, editorial director of children's books, also brings a strong indie bookseller perspective to Sourcebooks Fire; he started his publishing career as buyer and manager at Eeyore's bookstore in New York City. He often approaches acquisitions with a bookseller's eye: "My first thought is 'Is there readership for this?' " he says. "I don't acquire a book just because I like it."
Going Beyond What's Trending
As in any category, the YA space is dominated by trends--and right now, contemporary is king. While Sourcebooks has identified these trends, and, ironically, launched the imprint five years ago with a number of contemporary authors, the ultimate goal of the imprint--and the publisher in general--is to find fantastic titles by authors they can grow. When they know they've got a great book that will find an audience, Sourcebooks will never shy away from trying something new. "Experimentation and diversification have been really strategic for us, allowing us to grow and be remarkably stable," Stocke notes.
Not only has this experimentation allowed Sourcebooks to diversify the list, it's also helped Fire to establish itself as one of the leading YA thriller publishers. The team highlights author Natalie D. Richards as a thriller standout. In 2013, her first novel, Six Months Later, debuted to strong reviews--including a YALSA Teen Top Ten nomination--and sales, and has been followed by three additional standalone thrillers, the next of which, One Was Lost, is due this October. They've also been able to build a major U.S. readership for U.K. author Natasha Preston, whose debut thriller. The Cellar (March 2014), has sold more than 140,000 copies to date.
But thrillers aren't the only area where Sourcebooks Fire has seen success:
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Speculative Fiction
H20 by Virginia Bergin, first published September 2014, has been a standout. Steve Geck, editorial director of children's books, recalls that the book was pitched as "just one drop will kill you... I had to get it." Geck also calls Ruby, the book's protagonist, "one of the most polarizing characters in YA." Shortly after poison rain begins falling in London, killing 90% of the population, Ruby sets off to find her father, who may or may not be alive. Sourcebooks Fire published Bergin's sequel, The Storm, in October.
Horror
Praised for her "Steven King-like" horror stories and lyrical prose, author Rin Chupeco's companion novels The Girl from the Well (August 2014) and The Suffering (September 2015) have received starred reviews, been recognized by the Junior Library Guild and have been represented on state lists. The books feature ghost exorcisms, mysticism and murder, all while touching on the dilemmas that teens face. They are the types of tales, editorial manager Annette Pollert-Morgan says, that are so powerful "you need to share the experience with friend."
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Nonfiction
Called "an experience" by Kirkus Reviews, Dear Nobody: The True Diary of Mary Rose, edited by Gillian McCain and Legs McNeil, is the journal of high school girl struggling with addiction, bullying, abuse and a terminal illness. It's also the book that caused "the longest discussion in history" at a Sourcebooks acquisition meeting, Stocke says. Because they were all so deeply moved, "all of the editors had something to say about it."
This Book Is Gay by James Dawson (now Juno, since transitioning to female at the end of last year) is a handbook about sexual identity that any person can relate to, and is "irreverent, deeply experiential, and has lots of stories," Stocke says. "A lot of books in this space are pretty didactic and don't rollick like Dawson's does."
Annette Pollert-Morgan calls the book "truly hilarious and informative, with something for everyone, not just teens. For a parent or an educator or a librarian, this is an amazing resource. I thought I was well-versed on a lot of this, but I learned new things too."
"I heard from a librarian just this past weekend who mentioned that this title has the highest circulation of any nonfiction title in their library," adds Beth Oleniczak, marketing specialist. "We're just so proud to have it on our list."
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Contemporary
It's no secret that capturing a male YA audience is a difficult task, so Sourcebooks considers itself particularly lucky to be able to direct people to author Geoff Herbach. Says Beth Oleniczak, "I attend upwards of 10 library and educator trade shows a year, and not one has gone by where I haven't been approached by someone praising Herbach for being their go-to gateway author for boy or reluctant readers. Once they introduce him, they can't keep the books on their shelves." With Stupid Fast, the much-acclaimed first book in Herbach's Felton Reinstein trilogy, School Library Journal praised the author for "perfectly captur[ing] the voice of his generation." And nationally-awarded standalone Gabe Johnson Takes Over and the forthcoming Anything You Want are no different. Herbach's quirky, hilarious voice "will zap you back to high school in a paragraph," says Pollert-Morgan.