Do It: Apply to The Debutante Ball Class of 2022

Every year since 2007, five debut women authors have taken part in The Debutante Ball, a group blog for authors making their debut in the literary world. Former Debs include bestsellers in the genres of women’s fiction, mystery, literary fiction, nonfiction, young adult, and more.

It’s time for the Class of 2021 to pass on our tiaras. We’re looking for female or non-binary writers who have not previously had a book published to take part in this awesome experience! If you have a novel being released between September 2021 and August 2022 by a traditional commercial publisher, we hope you’ll consider joining us. Read on:

Some Things to Know:

  1. You need a firm release date to be considered (well, as firm as it ever gets in publishing!).
  2. All genres of fiction and memoir both YA and Adult are welcome. A Deb class with a good mix of genres will give you exposure to an audience you might not normally reach, as well as mixing up the experience for our readers and followers.
  3. Enthusiasm is a must! The Deb Ball is not just another marketing arena. It’s a community, a fellowship, and a celebration of writing and publication. It’s also a legacy, built over the last fourteen years, of amazing writers who are now household names — and many of whom have become real friends. We intend to pass the baton to authors who are every bit as magnificent as those who have come before.
  4. Things have changed a lot since the class of 2007 started The Deb Ball. The class of 2021 has incorporated more social media this past year, since that’s where people are. Blogging isn’t as big as it was back in 2007, so instead of a blog post every day, we only blogged a couple of days a week, but focused more on our social media platforms, like establishing an IG Live series on Instagram and getting more involved on Twitter. We are looking for people who engage on social media with a decent following, and people who will come up with new ideas on how The Deb Ball can grow as things change in the world.
  5. It’s important that you make time for The Ball. Being a Deb requires a 2-4-hour commitment each week—not only are you responsible for your own posts, but you will need to commit to helping to maintain the site, find guest authors, and publicize the blog through your own networking channels. Think of it as a component of your overall launch plan — which it will be! The Deb Ball will help you reach new readers all over the world — and the Class of 2021 Debs will train you for the process.
  6. The Deb Ball is hosted on WordPress. Experience with the WordPress blogging platform is not required, but is definitely a plus. If you have experience with WordPress, web design, or are otherwise tech savvy, please make sure to let us know that in your application.

The best part of being a Deb is the camaraderie and friendship among the group. As we stated above, we are looking for people with innovative ideas on how to carry the Ball into 2022. The landscape of how we connect with other writers and readers have changed so much in the past fourteen years, so we’re looking for go-getters who can come up with new ways to reach people. So, if you’re not only looking to launch a book, but to launch some lifelong friendships and coming up with exciting possibilities for your year, then The Debutante Ball is the place for you!

What will I have to do?

Each Deb has a role to play on the site, but they all back each other up when needed. The main responsibilities of a Deb include, but are not limited to:

  • Blogging occasionally on an agreed-upon topic, and helping to contribute to a daily presence on the site and sharing not only on the Deb Ball social medias, but on your own platforms.
  • Providing your fellow Debs with your book in advance of your release week so they can read it (one copy can be passed around by mail or e-galleys, if your publisher offers electronic ARCs)
  • Support your fellow Debs by posting reviews on Goodreads, Amazon (post pub), Barnes & Noble, and iTunes
  • Maintaining the website (one Deb will take point on this, but all Debs should be prepared to step in on occasion)
  • Managing the Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts, including daily promotions of posts through both tweets and Facebook postings (again, one Deb will take point for each social media site, but sharing material is everyone’s responsibility). Also starting a Deb Ball TikTok account.
  • Choosing your topics for the year
  • Giving away a copy of your book to celebrate your launch week
  • Choosing next year’s Debutante Ball class of 2023

It sounds like a lot, but when broken up among five people, it’s much more manageable!

If this sounds like something you are interested in doing, head to this form and fill it out.

If you have any questions, please address them to: Lyn Liao Butler at lynliaobutler@gmail.com, with the subject header “Prospective Debutante”. The Debutante Ball team is accepting applications through August 3, 2021. We will make decisions and notify our new Debs in the week after that, and we will announce the new Deb Class of 2021 around the second week of August.

If you are looking for a fun adventure, lifelong friends and incredible support during your debut year, hurry and apply!

One Reply to “Do It: Apply to The Debutante Ball Class of 2022”

  1. Hello. This site looks wonderful. I have a new novel “Agave Blues” set to be published (Touchpoint Press) in November, 2021. I’m wondering if I might qualify as a “debut novelist”. While I had a novel published last year by a non-traditional,hybrid company last year, it was during the pandemic and really never got a chance to launch.

    Thank you for any information!

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