Why Grace Bell Publishing is Planning on Developing Studio-Led Fiction Series

Written by Justine, Publisher

Grace Bell Publishing (GBP) is an Australian publisher creating wholesome, fun, hope-filled books for families. While our focus in 2026 is children’s fiction, I also want to share something we are planning on developing in the future of Grace Bell Publishing.

At GBP, I care deeply about publishing books that readers truly want. To help guide this, we ran questionnaires with families of children and teen readers. The message was clear, kids and teens want stories that are fun and engaging, and parents want books that are safe to trust.

As our list slowly grows, one of the ways we are responding to this is through the planned development of select studio-led fiction series. 

What Does Studio-Led Mean?

In a studio-led project, the core series framework is developed in-house. Grace Bell Publishing establishes the world, age range, storylines, character charts, tone, values, and long-term vision. Writers are then invited to contribute individual books written to a clear brief, under a royalty-paying publishing contract. You can read more about this in the FAQs section on our website. 

Please note: this is not ghostwriting or work-for-hire. Authors will be credited for their work, earn royalties, and are supported editorially while writing within a shared series framework. The cover will say 'Created by Grace Bell' and then on the inside title page, it will say 'Series created by Grace Bell and 'written by X'.' Then all the books can be found next to each other under 'BELL' in the library.

Teen Fiction Series

I am thinking that studio-led series could work especially well for teen fiction. It will allow GBP to offer consistency, great plots, age-appropriate content, and a clear promise to readers. It will also allow writers to focus on what matters most: telling a strong and engaging story.

This model hopefully will create opportunities for emerging writers. It also helps us protect the tone and values Grace Bell Publishing is known for, including wholesome, fun and sometimes gently faith-friendly themes.

Looking Ahead

We are currently building a pool of writers interested in contributing to wholesome, fun, and hope-filled YA and teen fiction series.

If you enjoy writing to a brief, working within a shared world and creating stories that uplift and entertain, studio-led projects may be a wonderful fit. If you know a writer who may be interested, please feel free to share this opportunity.

Thank you for being part of the Grace Bell Publishing journey.

Justine
Publisher, Grace Bell Publishing