Renita Bryant is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and consumer insights leader whose career blends corporate excellence with creative innovation and purpose-driven leadership.Her Holidayville Adventures® children's series delights readers with its magical world where holidays collide and characters learn the value of kindness, collaboration, and surprise.

Updated October 22, 2026

The horror genre has definitely been having its moment. U.S. sales have been booming since 2023, and the UK has seen even more dramatic growth. But this cultural wave is about more than just sales numbers. Google search interest for "horror books" has climbed more than 70% since 2020, while horror's box office success in the last year is drawing new audiences back to the page. Curry Barker's Obsession has earned over $500 million worldwide on a tiny budget, while viral internet phenomenon Backrooms became a massive box-office smash, grossing roughly $397–$401 million worldwide and setting records for A24. Horror also showed a significant presence in the Academy Award nominations for 2026. Fascination with the genre isn't going away any time soon. 

Deric Augustine is an actor, writer, and producer originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. His debut novel, Nawlins, is a YA coming-of-age fantasy about a teenager discovering her hidden magical powers at a secret wizarding school in New Orleans.  

Abbey Fox's newest release, Unraveled, is an edgy retelling of Beauty and the Beast and serves as the first installment in her A Kingdom of Beasts and Ruin Series. 

Samantha Young is a New York Times-, USA Today-, Wall Street Journal-, #1 Amazon-bestselling author, and a Goodreads Choice Awards Nominee. Her newest release, Hart Street Lane, is a steamy fake engagement romance and the third installment in her Return to Dublin Street series.  

Though the dream of seeing your self-published book on the New York Times-bestseller list may feel out of reach, it's a goal that's actually more attainable than you might think. You don't necessarily have to have the backing of a major publishing house and a massive marketing budget. Though there's no proven path to getting there, it's possible with a bit of hard work, strategy, persistence, and maybe a little luck. 

Standing out in today’s book marketplace can be challenging, especially if you’re a self-published author managing your own marketing. One creative option you may not have tried yet is offering bonus content that gives readers a little something extra. This type of content can serve more than one purpose: while it offers added value to your loyal fans, it can also be a powerful incentive to attract new readers. Whether you’re expanding on the world you’ve built or teasing what’s coming next, thoughtful bonus material can help your book shine without taking away from the main story you’re selling.

Adam Skolnick is an author and journalist who covers travel, adventure and endurance sports, and the environment. His fiction debut, American Tiger, is a riveting blend of adventure, mystery, and coming-of-age with a touching father-daughter relationship at its core.  

Are you considering submitting your work to contests and award programs this year? Whether you’re aiming for a major prize, recognition within a specific genre, or simply increased visibility for your book, these accolades can be powerful tools for strengthening your credibility as an author. It takes courage to share your work in this way, and the time and care you’ve invested in your manuscript merit that opportunity.

Greg Cope White is a former sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, an author, and a film and TV writer and producer. His memoir, The Pink Marine, has been adapted into a Netflix series (Boots, with a Rotten Tomatoes score of 90%), for which White serves as a writer and Executive Producer.