Super Thursday 2024 brings nearly 1,900 new books

Super Thursday, the day on which UK publishers release their biggest autumn titles ahead of Christmas, fell on 10 October 2024. The Bookseller reported that nearly 1,900 books were due that day, including 457 hardbacks, which it said was a 30 per cent rise on the previous two Super Thursdays, both of which came after production had contracted following the pandemic.

The Bookseller said booksellers were most looking forward to memoirs, cookbooks, children's books and historical fiction, with Boris Johnson and Kate Mosse among the names drawing attention.

The term dates from October 2008, when The Bookseller's charts editor noticed an unusual cluster of major releases landing on a single Thursday, the most common publication day. According to the Royal Literary Fund, which cited The Bookseller, seven titles released on the 2023 Super Thursday went on to sell more than £1 million each.

For most authors, Super Thursday is a date to avoid rather than aim for. A debut or small-press title published into that week competes for table space, reviews and attention with the season's biggest names. Publication timing is one of the few levers an author and publisher fully control, and it is worth discussing early.

Sources: The Bookseller: Super Thursday excitement driven by Boris Johnson and Kate Mosse; Royal Literary Fund: What exactly is Super Thursday?.