A new generation of authors is finally making book merch interesting

Sable Yong always wanted to make a perfume. She calls herself a “frag-head,” having previously written about fragrances for Allure and hosting the podcast Smell Ya Later with Tynan Sinks. Still, producing a fragrance requires a seismic deposit of cash. That was money Yong didn’t have. [Image: courtesy Sable Yong] When HarperCollins imprint Dey Street tapped Yong to write an essay collection, Die Hot With a Vengeance, her dreams of a personalized fragrance came back. “This is what...