2025 is looking to be a large year for the book publishing market; listed below are some of the largest trends.
Since 2025 has just started, it is a great time to make predictions on what the future of book publishing looks like for the year in advance. While there is no crystal ball to tell us the future, experts look at annual reports to see if there are any kind of popular trends that are obtaining traction. If there is a pattern that was consistently and steadily increasing all throughout 2024, we can picture that this will carry on this year also. A prime example of this is the adjustments to what the most popular book genres are. Previously, styles were a great deal more clear-cut and distinctive; with the number one genre being a close-tie between either thriller or romance. However, in 2024 one of the largest trends in the book market was a rise in the demand for mixed-genre novels. Rather than read one kind of genre, readers were seeking stories which obscured the lines in between a range of different genres. For instance, thanks to on-line novel communities on social media sites, 'romantasy' is a subgenre which increased in demand. Romantasy is a mixed-genre which blends fantasy and romance with each other; indicating that there will typically be a remarkable, turbulent and exciting love story in the midst of a fantasy-driven narrative. This could be an enemies to lovers story in between a demon and a demon hunter, or a forbidden romance between a vampire and a werewolf, or cosy romance between two students at a wizardry school. Whatever it is, it is expected to stay incredibly sought-after in 2025, as individuals like co-founder of the investment fund which partially owns WHSmith would certainly recognize.
When taking a look at the trends from last year, among the most noticeable trends was an increase in self-publishing, as individuals like the CEO of the media conglomerate which owns Penguin Random House would certainly validate. First and foremost, what is self-publishing? To put it simply, self-publishing is when aspiring writers opt to take publishing into their very own hands, rather than go down the traditional path of being signed to a publishing agency, hiring a book agent and working with a specialist editor. Instead, they have absolute control over the writing of their novel, as well as the cover design and advertising projects. If they have the money, self-publishers can decide to get physical novels published, or most commonly they can submit their novels to one of the self-publishing sites for people to read via web browsers or apps. For those questioning why self-publishing is better, many individuals say that it gives authors a whole lot more artistic freedom and control over their own work. They likewise do not have the extreme time pressures and target dates which they would have if they worked with a standard publishing house.
According to records, among the most current trends in fiction books is the increase in limited editions, as individuals such as the head of the private equity owner of Waterstones would likely confirm. Simply put, even more bookworms are investing in uncommon, limited edition variations of their favourite books. These books may have gold-sprayed sides, or beautiful covers or exclusive material. More readers are wishing to gather a few special variations of novels, whether this be for their very own personal collection or with the intention to sell them at a later date.