★4,217 readers backed a book this week

Help bring the books
you wish existed
into the world.

First Readers is where readers, fans, and communities back book ideas before they're written — pitching what's missing, calling out the writers we want to hear from, and helping decide which books deserve to exist.

Find a book to back Start a campaign

18live campaigns

62,884first readers

17books moved into publishing review

Powered by Imagine We Publishers — 24 books published, 1.2M+ readers reached.

Editorial reviewPrivacy-firstNo payment until you choose

Featured this week

Books being asked into existence

See all campaigns →

Reader CampaignTrending

The Comedy of Crisis

ComedyJohannesburg

14,000 readers asking Trevor Noah for the book that came after the last one.

Asking Trevor Noah · started by Lebogang K.

14,002 readersMajor Market Signal

Reader CampaignTrending

Notes on Writing, Notes on Grief

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda — a small book on writing, a small book on grief. We are ready.

Asking Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie · started by Adaeze N.

11,228 readersMajor Market Signal

Reader CampaignTrending

Strive Masiyiwa

The Africa-built business playbook we keep asking Strive Masiyiwa to write.

Asking Strive Masiyiwa · started by Tendai Moyo

9,318 readersPublishing Review

Two ways to start a movement

Pitch a book, or call for one.

Pitch your own book.

Have a book idea? Show the world what's inside it. Build a waitlist of first readers and prove the demand for the book you're already writing in your head.

Pitch a book →

Start a campaign for someone you wish would write.

A founder, an elder, a thinker, a creator. Call for the book you've been waiting for — and let other readers join you.

Call for a book →

Gaining speed

Most wanted this week

Sorted by reader velocity — the books closing the gap fastest between idea and demand.

Reader CampaignTrending

The Comedy of Crisis

ComedyJohannesburg

14,000 readers asking Trevor Noah for the book that came after the last one.

Asking Trevor Noah · started by Lebogang K.

14,002 readersMajor Market Signal

Reader CampaignTrending

Notes on Writing, Notes on Grief

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda — a small book on writing, a small book on grief. We are ready.

Asking Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie · started by Adaeze N.

11,228 readersMajor Market Signal

Reader CampaignTrending

Strive Masiyiwa

The Africa-built business playbook we keep asking Strive Masiyiwa to write.

Asking Strive Masiyiwa · started by Tendai Moyo

9,318 readersPublishing Review

Started by readers

Public figures readers want books from

When enough readers ask, we knock on the door.

Call for a book

Reader CampaignTrending

The Comedy of Crisis

ComedyJohannesburg

14,000 readers asking Trevor Noah for the book that came after the last one.

Asking Trevor Noah · started by Lebogang K.

14,002 readersMajor Market Signal

Reader CampaignTrending

Notes on Writing, Notes on Grief

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Chimamanda — a small book on writing, a small book on grief. We are ready.

Asking Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie · started by Adaeze N.

11,228 readersMajor Market Signal

Reader CampaignTrending

Strive Masiyiwa

The Africa-built business playbook we keep asking Strive Masiyiwa to write.

Asking Strive Masiyiwa · started by Tendai Moyo

9,318 readersPublishing Review

Pitched by authors

Books waiting for their first readers

Writers who showed up early and asked the world: do you want this?

Author PitchTrending

Mothers of the Hill

A book about the women who held Rwanda together when nothing else did.

By Aline Mukamana

2,841 readersStrong Demand

Author PitchTrending

The Algorithm of Grief

A book for everyone who has tried to grieve someone and a thing they loved at the same time.

By Ife Nwosu

1,842 readersStrong Demand

Author PitchTrending

No Easy Mornings

SociologyNairobi

A short, fierce essay collection on parenting under inflation.

By Okwiri Wairimu

802 readersMomentum

By place

Books Rwanda is asking for

Demand by city. The books your country is signing for.

Author PitchTrending

Mothers of the Hill

A book about the women who held Rwanda together when nothing else did.

By Aline Mukamana

2,841 readersStrong Demand

Patrick Mugisha

A book of patient, attentive long-form journalism from East Africa.

By Patrick Mugisha

624 readersMomentum

Before the Rain Came

Eliane Ingabire

A novel set in a hill town the day before everything changed.

By Eliane Ingabire

388 readersProof

How First Readers works

Three steps. No payment until you choose.

1

Find or start a campaign

Browse books readers are asking for, pitch one yourself, or call for a book from someone you'd love to read.

2

Tell the author you want it

One click. Your name, optionally your reason. We pass that signal — and your story — directly to the author.

3

The book gets closer

Each milestone unlocks more support: editorial review, publishing consultation, and pre-release for first readers.

Read the full process →