In another move to broaden its offerings, Abrams has announced the creation of its first commercial fiction imprint, akaStory, which will launch in January 2027 with six novels on its inaugural list.

According to the announcement, akaStory’s mission “is to showcase fiction that honors the art of immersive, escapist storytelling with content tailored to the digital social media age.” And in a nod to Abrams’s origin as an art book publisher, each akaStory title will feature “elevated packaging” designed to be displayed on readers’ shelves and in their feeds.

Abrams editorial director Anne Heltzel, who acquired Alex Aster’s bestselling YA series Lightlark, is heading the new imprint joined by senior editor Kate Roddy, who moved to Abrams last May after managing the Cosmo Reads imprint at Sourcebooks. The new imprint reports to Abram SVP and publisher Lori Benton.

In a statement, Abrams president and CEO Mary McAveney said the company is drawing on its history in launching akaStory. “At Abrams, we’ve spent 75 years understanding how books on art, design, and lifestyle enrich people’s lives,” she said, “and now we’re bringing that same philosophy to commercial fiction.”

Heltzel added that part of akaStory’s objective is “to contribute to the current atmosphere of dynamic, community-driven book events by becoming a go-to resource for book clubs everywhere.”

A spokesperson said the imprint aims to publish 10-12 titles annually.

The imprint’s inaugural title, set to be released next January, is Her Life in Ruins by Cynthia W. Gentry, which Abrams described as a “friends-to-lovers rom-com set in Silicon Valley and the Yucatan Peninsula,” about a PhD candidate and her grad school love interest.

Two books are set for February 2027: Martha Wants a Baby by April Vellacott, about the unlikely friendship between a London woman and a fitness influencer, and the horror novel He Always Comes Back by Elle Engel.

The remainder of the first list is The Sins of Good People by Kelly Young Chang (April 2027); The Paris Proposal by Kristen Chaudière (May 2027); and Dog Mom by Madi Stine (July 2027).

The news of the launch of akaStory comes on the same day Tor announced its own commercial fiction imprint, Wildthorn Books.