debut novels
Authors' opening books
Debut novels are an author's first published novel.
The term often carries connotations of freshness and discovery—reviewers and readers pay special attention to debuts as harbingers of new talent.
Her debut novel won the National Book Award.
Publishers sometimes market debut novels as a category unto themselves, emphasizing the excitement of a new literary voice.
- first novelAuthor's earliest book-length work
- book dealAgreement with a publisher
- characterizationDescribing distinctive qualities
- manuscriptOriginal text before publication
- rough draftUnpolished first attempt
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