The book publishing industry in 2025 looks different to how it looked two decades back; keep on reading to figure out precisely why.
Since 2025 has simply just began, 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, professionals take a 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 climbing all throughout 2024, we can envision 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 leading genre being a close-tie between either thriller or romance. Nonetheless, in 2024 one of the most significant trends in the book industry was an increase in the demand for mixed-genre books. As opposed to read one kind of genre, bookworms were seeking stories which blurred the lines between a range of different genres. For 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 frequently 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 between a vampire and a werewolf, or cosy romance in between 2 students at a sorcery school. Whatever it is, it is expected to continue to be incredibly desired in 2025, as individuals like co-founder of the investment fund which partially owns WHSmith would know.
When considering the trends from last year, one of the most pronounced trends was an increase in self-publishing, as individuals like the CEO of the media conglomerate which owns Penguin Random House would 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, instead of go down the conventional route of being signed to a publishing agency, employing a book agent and working with a specialist editor. Instead, they have complete control over the writing of their novel, as well as the cover design and advertising and marketing campaigns. If they have the cash, self-publishers can choose to get physical books printed, or most commonly they can upload their books to one of the self-publishing sites for individuals to read via internet browsers or applications. For those pondering why self-publishing is better, many people suggest that it offers authors a lot more imaginative freedom and control over their 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, among the most current trends in fiction novels is the growth in limited versions, as individuals such as the head of the private equity owner of Waterstones would likely confirm. In other words, more readers are investing in rare, limited edition versions of their much-loved novels. These novels may have gold-sprayed sides, or beautiful covers or exclusive material. More readers are wanting to collect some special variations of novels, whether this be for their own personal collection or with the purpose to sell them at a later day.