Zando has launched a romance imprint called Slowburn, which aims to publish "all things love, spice, angst, longing, and iconic pairings. From dark romance with a dash of humor, to athlete pining, and sweeping romantic fantasies, our books offer fresh takes on the beloved genre."
Slowburn will publish two or three books per season and four to six books annually. The company noted, "There is no shortage of new readers from the enormous BookTok boom of the past few years. From Colleen Hoover to Taylor Jenkins Reid, we are watching franchise authors develop cult followings and sell millions of copies. Consistent with our Zando brand, we are always aiming to find voices that are slightly left of center, edgy or fresh to bring these eager readers an unexpected favorite book."
Hayley Wagreich, director of original development at Zando, and Sierra Stovall, director of rights at Zando, are co-directors of Slowburn. Nicole Otto, who joined Zando last week as senior editor and was previously a senior creative executive at Realm, and TJ Ohler, assistant editor at Zando, will work closely with Wagreich and Stovall and acquire books for Slowburn.
Initial Slowburn titles include the second and third books in Brynne Weaver's Ruinous Love trilogy. (The first title, Butcher & Blackbird, was published by Zando in December.) Leather & Lark will go on sale June 4, and Scythe & Sparrow in early 2025. Slowburn has signed up another trilogy by Weaver, which will appear in 2025 and 2026.
Slowburn has also signed the Reckless Hearts series by Amanda Weaver (no relation), a new adult romance set in the world of Formula One racing. The first title, Fast & Reckless, will appear in fall 2024, and the second, Kiss & Collide, is scheduled for spring 2025.