Are you a bibliophile? If you are, below are some publishing trends to expect this year.
Now that 2025 has just started, it is a good time to make predictions on what the future of book publishing appears like for the year ahead. Whilst there is no crystal ball to tell us the future, specialists take a look at annual reports to see if there are any noticeable patterns that are gaining traction. If there is a pattern that was consistently and steadily rising all throughout 2024, we can visualize 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, genres were a whole lot 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 industry was a surge in the demand for mixed-genre books. Rather than read one kind of genre, readers were looking for novels which obscured the lines between a selection of different genres. As an example, thanks to online novel communities on social networks, 'romantasy' is a subgenre which increased in demand. Romantasy is a mixed-genre which blends fantasy and romance together; meaning that there will often be a significant, turbulent and exciting love story in the midst of a fantasy-driven narrative. This might be an enemies to lovers story in between a demon and a demon hunter, or a forbidden romance in between a vampire and a werewolf, or cosy romance between 2 students at a sorcery school. Whatever it is, it is expected to continue to be extremely in-demand in 2025, as people like co-founder of the investment fund which partially owns WHSmith would undoubtedly know.
When checking out the trends from last year, one of the most standout trends was an increase in self-publishing, as people 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 decide to take publishing into their very own hands, rather than go down the traditional path of being signed to a publishing firm, hiring a book agent and working with an expert editor. Rather, they have complete control over the writing of their novel, along with the cover design and marketing campaigns. If they have the cash, self-publishers can choose to get physical books printed, or most commonly they can post their novels to one of the self-publishing websites for people to read through internet browsers or applications. For those pondering why self-publishing is better, many individuals argue that it provides writers a whole lot more creative freedom and control over their own work. They likewise do not have the extreme time pressures and target dates which they would undoubtedly have if they worked with a standard publishing house.
According to records, among the most current trends in fiction novels is the rise in limited editions, as people such as the head of the private equity owner of Waterstones would likely substantiate. In other words, more readers are investing in unusual, limited edition variations of their much-loved novels. These novels might have gold-sprayed edges, or lovely covers or exclusive material. Even more bookworms are intending to collect some special versions of books, whether this be for their own personal collection or with the objective to sell them at a later date.