The book publishing market in 2025 looks different to how it looked 20 years earlier; continue reading to figure out exactly why.
Now that 2025 has simply just started, it is a good time to make forecasts on what the future of book publishing looks like for the year ahead. Although there is no crystal ball to tell us the future, experts look at annual reports to see if there are any kind of prominent patterns that are getting traction. If there is a trend that was consistently and gradually increasing all throughout 2024, we can visualize that this will certainly continue this year too. 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. Nonetheless, in 2024 one of the most significant trends in the book sector was an increase in the demand for mixed-genre novels. Instead of read one type of genre, bookworms were looking for books 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; suggesting that there will often be a remarkable, turbulent and amazing love story in the midst of a fantasy-driven plot. This could be an enemies to lovers story between a demon and a demon hunter, or a forbidden romance in between a vampire and a werewolf, or cosy romance between two students at a wizardry school. Whatever it is, it is expected to remain very sought-after in 2025, as individuals like co-founder of the investment fund which partially owns WHSmith would understand.
When looking at the trends from last year, one of the most pronounced trends was an increase in self-publishing, as people like the CEO of the media conglomerate which owns Penguin Random House would definitely 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, as opposed to go down the traditional route of being signed to a publishing company, employing a book agent and working with a professional editor. Instead, they have full control over the writing of their book, as well as the cover design and advertising projects. If they have the money, self-publishers can decide to get physical books published, or most commonly they can post their books 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 say that it gives authors a great deal more artistic freedom and control over their very own work. They also do not have the extreme time pressures and deadlines which they would certainly have if they dealt with a typical publishing house.
According to records, one of 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 substantiate. In other words, more readers are investing in unusual, limited edition versions of their preferred novels. These novels could have gold-sprayed sides, or gorgeous covers or exclusive material. A lot more readers are wishing to gather a few special variations of novels, whether this be for their very own personal collection or with the intent to sell them at a later day.