PW Close-Up: Meet Macmillan's Saturday Books

St. Martin's Publishing Group, a longtime pioneer in the New Adult category, has launched its answer to this growing trend: Saturday Books, a new imprint dedicated exclusively to New Adult readers. For the uninitiated, New Adult is a YA-adjacent category specializing in books for readers 18 years old to those in their late 20s and early 30s. This cohort, just entering adulthood, still enjoy YA but want stories that are more reflective of their emergent lives in the adult realm. VPs Sara Goodman and Eileen Rothschild, the innovative duo that spearheaded Wednesday Books—the sibling YA imprint to Saturday Books—for SMPG back in 2017, are now adding Saturday Books to their editorial leadership portfolio, serving as editorial director and associate publisher, respectively. PW caught up with them in the midst of the launch to learn more about their vision and get a glimpse of the imprint's very first titles. Be the first to see the spectacular books coming out in the seasons ahead, and enter to win a copy of Wild Reverence by New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Ross! This newsletter was created in partnership with St. Martin's Publishing Group. On the Record with Sara Goodman and Eileen Rothschild The Leadership Team Talks About Their Vision for the New Imprint The visionaries behind Saturday Books, VP and editorial director Sara Goodman (top, left) and VP and associate publisher Eileen Rothschild (bottom, left) have a long history together, dating back to their early careers as assistants working side by side in a cramped office in the Flatiron. The pair discuss the "magic of their partnership," the birth of the imprint, and the type of books readers can expect when they spot the Saturday Books logo on the spine. Congratulations on the launch of Saturday Books! What inspired the creation, and why is this the right moment? Sara: For as long as we've been publishing crossover YA for Wednesday Books, we've noticed how many of our readers are true young adults, or readers in their 20s. We wanted to create a list specifically for them and to publish books that speak to people in that very transitional time of life. Eileen: And have fun doing it! The type of book we're looking for is genre adjacent. We aren't looking for one type of category/genre—our list contains romance, horror, thriller, romantasy, dark academia... you name it! What's most important is speaking to that audience and meeting them where they are and where they are going. How do your respective roles complement each other in shaping the imprint's identity and strategy? Sara: We often say I'm front of house, and Eileen's back of house. I'm attending book fairs, meeting agents, spreading the word about Wednesday Books and Saturday Books while Eileen's running our sales conferences and ensuring our books are getting printed. But there's so much more to it than that. Eileen has such a brilliant publishing mind. She really understands commercial fiction and how to market it to readers. She understands the very complicated industry that is publishing and how to navigate it. She's fierce and dedicated and a good friend to me. I couldn't do this without her. Read On Saturday Books Sneak Peak Watch the Video Want to know the hot titles coming from Saturday Books this fall and beyond? Then check out the video revealing the exciting books publishing in winter and spring...and even into 2027! Watch Now! Spring 2025—Out Now! Metal Slinger New from Saturday Books, the deluxe paperback edition of the smash-hit romantasy sensation the internet can't stop talking about! Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider is the unforgettable start to the Fire & Metal duology. Brimming with slow-burn romance, knife-sharp suspense, and breathtaking twists, Metal Slinger delivers on all fronts. A gorgeous book readers will cherish with a stunning embossed cover, silver foiling, and an exclusive bonus scene from the upcoming sequel, Light Wielder. Learn More Fall 2025—Just Published! Wild Reverence #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Ross delivers a sweeping coming-of-age fantasy filled with romance, tension, and ominous secrets, all set in the world of the gods first introduced in Divine Rivals. This stunning, luxe, limited edition just released in early September includes a jacketed printed case with custom character art, full-color designed endpapers, black stained edges, and foiled cover elements. Only available while supplies last. Get your copy now! Learn More We Met Like This This seductive adult rom-com debut by beloved author Kasie West follows Margot, a hopeless romantic falling for the one man she never expected—the one she met years ago on a wretched dating app. Chronicling the pitfalls of modern dating and the horrors of dating app conversations, this endearing novel is full of witty banter, meet-cutes gone awry, and... could it be? True love. This deluxe, limited-edition paperback features beautiful designed edges but is only available while supplies last. Just published in September, don't miss out. Get your copy before they go! Learn More Overdue From New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Perkins comes an effervescent adult debut. This aching, slow burn of a romance full of lust and longing is a beautifully human love story about new beginnings and finding your way. When her sister's engagement forces 29-year-old Ingrid and her boyfriend of 11 years to reconsider their relationship, the two decide to take a one-month break to date before reuniting and discussing marriage. But when the month ends, things are not at all as they had planned. This stunning, deluxe, limited-edition hardcover for fans, collectors, and newcomers features beautiful, lush pink edges, custom endpapers, and a unique foiled case stamp—the perfect addition to any bookshelf. Only available while supplies last. Out today! Get your hands on a copy now. Learn More Fallen City Written in the inimitable atmospheric prose of New York Times bestselling author Adrienne Young, Fallen City is a sweeping start to a captivating new series. Gritty, immersive, and utterly spellbinding, this romantic fantasy weaves politics, curious magic, and a slow-burn romance into an intricate new world. Get ready for your new obsession on November 4, 2025. Preorder now to get your copy of the stunning, deluxe limited edition. The collector's hardcover features stenciled edges, full-color custom character endpapers, unique foiled front and back case stamps, and foiled cover elements. Coming in early November, only available while supplies last! Learn More Winter 2026—Coming Soon! Graceless Heart From #1 New York Times bestselling author Isabel Ibañez comes her dazzling adult debut—Graceless Heart—a sweeping historical romantasy set in a glittering, magic-laced Renaissance Italy. Ravenna Maffei has spent her life in the shadows, shaping beauty from stone. But when her hidden powers are revealed in a city where magic is outlawed, she becomes a weapon in a game of ruthless ambition. Thrust into the deadly court of Florence's immortal elite, Ravenna must face off with Saturnino dei Luni—the enigmatic, merciless heir whose dangerous charm threatens both her mission and her heart. With sizzling enemies-to-lovers tension, courtly intrigue, and lush, evocative world-building, Graceless Heart is historical fantasy at its most seductive and spellbinding. Get ready to swoon on January 13! Learn More Metal Slinger The romantasy that set the internet ablaze is now coming out in hardcover! Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider, a dazzling new voice in the genre, is the first book in a mesmerizing duology bursting with swoon-worthy romance, breathtaking suspense, and thrilling twists. Living among the exiled, Brynn has spent her life training as a guard and yearning for the day she can prove herself at a long-awaited rite of passage. But when a tense encounter with a Kenta soldier shatters a century-old peace, Brynn is thrust into a conflict that unravels everything she thought she knew about her identity, loyalty, and destiny. As secrets surface and a forbidden magic awakens within her, Brynn must navigate treacherous seas, dangerous truths, and a growing bond with the very enemy who claims she belongs to a world she's never known. On February 3, get ready for your new obsession! Learn More Darkening Song For fans of Daisy Jones & The Six, Euphoria, and Luckiest Girl Alive, Darkening Song is a searing debut that blends the seductive glamour of the music industry with the raw, emotional complexity of female friendship and ambition. When 18-year-old Eva discovers a once-in-a-generation voice in 16-year-old Alora, she risks everything to launch the young artist's career—unaware that the path to stardom will come at a devastating cost. As fame, fortune, and power reshape their lives, the bond between the two deepens into something like family—until secrets, betrayal, and a haunting past threaten to destroy them both. A fiercely feminist story about friendship and betrayal, Darkening Song is a haunting look at modern stardom from an industry insider. More than anything, it's a story about redemption and how hopes and dreams can come true in ways we least expect. Soon to be a major television series, Darkening Song is a gripping, emotionally charged exploration of loyalty, fame, and the price of chasing dreams in a world that often devours the very girls it claims to celebrate. The Song drops on March 10! Learn More Stranger Things Have Happened In this sharp and sexy adult rom-com from award-winning author Kasie West, fake dating takes a hilarious and complicated turn when Sutton agrees to pretend she's engaged to a smug—and infuriatingly attractive—stranger, all to help her best friend win a bet. Juggling work, a sick mother, and a fresh breakup, Sutton doesn't have time for games—but one too many drinks and a lingering sense of guilt have her diving headfirst into a scheme that was never meant to feel real. As therapy sessions blur the lines between pretend chemistry and something much deeper, Sutton is forced to confront what she truly wants—from love, from friendship, and from herself. Stranger Things Have Happened is a witty, heartfelt story about unexpected connection, second chances, and finding clarity in the most unlikely places. On April 14, get ready for Stranger Things! Learn More Summer 2026—And So Much More Light Wielder The story continues in book two of the riveting romantasy series Fire & Metal by Rachel Schneider! Like Metal Slinger, Light Wielder is an intense, emotionally driven narrative featuring a delectable blend of enemies-to-lovers romance and morally complex characters inhabiting a dangerous world replete with intricate magic and hidden agendas. Everything will come to light when the book hits shelves on May 19. Preorder your copy now! Preorder Now! And don't miss some of the authors to take us into 2026 and beyond! Talia Hibbert Talia Hibbert is the award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Indie, and internationally bestselling author of your next romance obsession. From raucous rom-coms to breathless New Adult romance, Talia is known for writing complicated characters who'll make you feel seen. Since self-publishing her first novella in 2017 at 21 years of age, Talia has written more than 15 books and is now a hybrid author. Several of her books, including The Brown Sisters, have been optioned for TV and film. Photo Credit: Sam Weaver CG Drews CG Drews is the author of the New York Times bestseller and award-winning Don't Let the Forest In, which is also a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, Indie Next Pick, one of School Library Journal's Best Books of 2024, and winner of the 2025 Barnes & Noble YA Book Awards. Their work has been translated into more than 12 languages. CG lives in Australia, never sleeps, and is forever buried under a pile of unread books. Julia Jones Julia Jones is an actress and author known for her roles in Dexter: New Blood, The Mandalorian, Wind River, Rutherford Falls, Westworld, and as Leah Clearwater in the hugely popular Twilight franchise. She also appeared in the films Cold Pursuit, Rez Ball, Winter in the Blood, and the series Goliath, Longmire, and ER. She will next be seen opposite Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe in the feature film The Weight. She grew up in Boston and holds a BA from Columbia University. Friends Lovers Strangers is her first novel. Photo credit: Peter Mellekas B.L. Thota B.L. Thota is a fourth-year medical student and aspiring anesthesiologist who grew up in Dallas, Texas. When not cramming for exams or writing, she can be found consuming questionable amounts of caffeine, overthinking literally everything, and buying more books than she can possibly read. Photo credit: Teesdale Photography Stay connected Get Social with Saturday Discover the books that are about to break the internet! Get a heads up on big, new releases and all the latest news on thrilling fantasy, speculative fiction, and spicy romance. Follow Saturday Books on Facebook and Instagram. Learn More Giveaway Enter to Win Your Copy of Wild Reverence Saturday Books is giving away 10 copies of the final, stunning edition of Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross! Enter to win a special, limited edition copy with custom character art, full-color designed endpapers, black stained edges, and foiled cover elements. Enter Now! About the Publisher Saturday Books We are a New Adult publisher specializing in books for younger adults—18-to-30-year-old readers just entering adulthood who still yearn to go to the YA shelf but who need stories that better reflect their current lives. We publish books about first loves, first jobs, first kingdom takeovers, and any stories that vividly capture those often exhilarating but usually challenging early days of being an adult. We aim to publish diverse, commercial, and voice-driven fiction, with a special focus on fantasy, speculative fiction, romance, and genre-adjacent fiction. We hope to reach fans of authors like Alex Aster, Rebecca Yarros, Adrienne Young, Rebecca Ross, Casey McQuiston, Ali Hazelwood, Talia Hibbert, Jasmine Guillory, Helen Hoang, Ana Huang, Aiden Thomas, and any readers in that special in-between age group searching for that special, in-between read. Learn More	E-mail not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

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