7 SITES THAT PROVE YA PUBLISHERS KNOW WHERE IT’S AT

If you’re at all active in the YA book community, you’ve probably interacted with a publisher or two. Publishers are some of the coolest and most fun bookish people you’ll ever meet, and for that reason, the sites they create to market their YA books are just as awesome as they are. SO, here are 7 sites created and run by YA publishers that will fill your life with more happiness than before.

1. Epic Reads (HarperCollins)

Possibly the most well-known of the YA publishers, Epic Reads and HarperCollins were one of the first publishers (that I know of) to form a relationship with their readers in a digital platform. You may recognize them from their ringleader Margot Wood, the greatness that was Tea Time, the *book shimmy*, or their Book Nerd Problems videos on YouTube.

So, why should I join?  Their blog is fabulous! There are tons of posts regarding the YA books they publish, but they often include titles from other houses too. They host cool giveaways for ARC copies of their books, and they create fun bookish quizzes. Plus, their videos are top notch.

2. Riveted (Simon & Schuster)

Formerly PulseIt, Riveted just launched on February 1st. It’s taking all the great things from the previous site, and making it better. Plus, they said that they want this new site to be more interactive, and that readers will be able to pitch them post ideas for their blog and become contributors!

So, why should I join? Although it’s new, I can see the amazing potential that’s in Riveted. One of the features transferring from the old site to the new is the ability to read FREE books for a limited time. Actual popular, published books (by S&S only, though) are available free to read during certain time periods. For example right now, Since You’ve Been Gone, The Summer I Turned Pretty and Maid of Secrets are all available.  Sidenote: I highly recommend SYBG [review], and you all know how I endlessly rave about Jenny Han [exhibit A], so definitely take advantage of those while you can! Maid of Secrets is on my TBR, so who knows, maybe I’ll get to it before it expires! The one drawback is the book can only be read online from your computer or other mobile devices, not just a simple eReader.
3. Novl (Little, Brown)

Created as/by Little, Brown’s YA imprint, Novl’s site is tons of fun. They feature only their titles, but I mean, they’ve got lots of good ones! They have a reader’s manifesto that is amazing, and I’m a huge fan of their blog, myself!

So, why should I join? Well, you don’t really join their site, unless you sign up for the newsletter (which you definitely should), but they have promotions that you don’t want to miss! Mainly: the NovlBox. Each month you can enter to win a box of books and other goodies curated by either Little, Brown’s authors or publishers! I have never won, but from what I’ve seen, those boxes are so epic. They also of course have just regular giveaways too!

4. Swoon Reads (Imprint of Macmillan)

All about the YA romance, Swoon Reads is the epitome of interactive. As a member, you can read and submit manuscripts of YA stories with a romance element. Their site also has amazing writing tips, author interviews, insight on the world of publishing, and more!

So, why should I join? Similarly to Riveted, Swoon Reads gives you access to free content, but the kicker is they’re not yet published, so you don’t know what you could get quality wise. But what’s REALLY awesome is, you can submit your manuscript to their site, and after consideration, it could be chosen to be PUBLISHED! I’ve read some of the chosen titles, and I’ve really enjoyed them [ex: A Little Something Different, Love Fortunes and Other Disasters, and These Vicious Masks]. I thought this was an awesome concept!

5. Penguin Teen Tumblr (Penguin Random House)

Yes, this is their Tumblr, but it isn’t just all reblogging. Their Tumblr is the site they use to promote a lot of their upcoming YA titles, so you’ll see lots of exclusive content, author interviews, and chances for giveaways!

So, why should I join? Again, not a site where you can sign up, but visit for the original blog posts! For example, I was just scrolling through, and on Valentine’s Day they created OK Cupid Profiles for some of their swoony heartthrobs! Where else could you find that? They’re lists are on point!

BONUS FOR PENGUIN: You may already know about the First to Read site. You sign up, and each month or so they offer a bunch of upcoming titles for grabs (digitally). Often times there’s YA ones thrown in the mix. You earn credits for each visit to the site, and each social media you connect. When they open up the “requesting period” you can cash in credits, or simply try for a chance to win an early e-galley!

6. First In Line (Random House)

Random House’s newest YA site since the closing and merge of Random Buzzers into Figment. I was so sad to see Random Buzzers go, because honestly, Figment is nothing like what RB was at all, but that’s a discussion rant for another day… Once joined, you are able to access exclusive member content about the book of the month. You’ll get an email letting you know what next month’s title will be, and are offered a chance to snag an ARC on a first come first serve basis.

So, why should I join? The member exclusives! January was all about Brandon Sanderson, and while I’ve yet to read any of his books, I know he has a huge following. There was a Q&A, exclusive annotations of a chapter of one of his books, behind the scenes extra content, and the ability to start reading the book before its release date! That’s just an example of what is often featured on the site each month. There’s also author events listed, and suggestions for readalikes.

7. Fierce Reads (Macmillan)

Macmillan’s main YA site, Fierce Reads is the hub for all the news surrounding their upcoming titles. Discover their new books, find great deals on Books, read early excerpts of books you’re eagerly anticipating *cough* The Winner’s Kiss *cough*, and enter all the giveaways!

So, why should I join? No joining needed, but definitely visit often to keep up to date with what’s going to be hitting shelves soon! They’ve even posted some short synopses for Fall 2016 titles that look AMAZING. Fierce Reads is the home to some of our fav authors like Marissa Meyer, Marie Rutkoski, and Mary E. Pearson so of course you HAVE to visit!

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Do you frequent any of these sites? Which is your favorite to visit?