LONDON — Embla Books, the digital-first imprint of Bonnier Books UK, has officially opened its doors to unagented submissions for the first time in its four-year history. This landmark move, announced on February 4, 2026, marks a significant shift for the publisher as it seeks to discover fresh, commercial voices directly from the writing community.
The submission window is brief, running from February 9 to February 20, 2026.
What They are Looking For
Embla is specifically targeting three high-growth commercial genres for this open call:
- Domestic Thrillers: Propulsive, “unputdownable” psychological dramas.
- Christmas Murder Mysteries: Irresistibly twisty seasonal whodunnits.
- “Witchy” Romances: Original, enchanting romantic fiction with a supernatural edge.
The AI Factor: Storywise Trial
In a modern twist on the traditional “slush pile,” Embla is trialling Storywise, an AI-driven platform designed to streamline the administration of open submissions. While the tool will help manage the influx of manuscripts, Publishing Director Martina Arzu emphasized that every submission will ultimately be reviewed by Embla’s experienced human editorial team.
”Opening submissions for the first time feels like a huge and exciting milestone for us,” said Arzu. “We can’t wait to discover brilliant new voices directly.”
Commitment to Diversity
The imprint has expressed a strong desire to reach authors from backgrounds currently underrepresented in the publishing industry. This includes, but is not limited to, writers from socio-economically marginalized backgrounds and Black, Asian, and minority ethnic authors.
Since its launch in 2021, Embla has built a reputation for turning debut novelists into digital bestsellers. By removing the “agent gatekeeper” for this limited window, they are offering a rare direct pipeline to one of the UK’s most successful digital publishers.
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