The book publishing industry in 2025 looks different to the way it looked two decades back; keep on reviewing to learn exactly why.
Now that 2025 has 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, professionals look at annual reports to see if there are any kind of popular patterns that are getting traction. If there is a trend that was consistently and gradually increasing all throughout 2024, we can imagine 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, genres 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 sector was an increase in the demand for mixed-genre novels. Instead of read one sort of genre, readers 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 usually 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 in 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 considering the trends from last year, one of the most visible 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 own hands, as opposed to go down the traditional route of being signed to a publishing firm, employing a book agent and working with a professional editor. Rather, they have full control over the writing of their book, in addition to the cover design and advertising and marketing projects. If they have the money, self-publishers can decide to get physical novels published, or most commonly they can upload their books to one of the self-publishing sites for individuals to read through browsers or applications. For those thinking about why self-publishing is better, many people argue that it provides writers a lot more imaginative freedom and control over their very own work. They also do not have the extreme time pressures and deadlines which they would definitely have if they collaborated with a traditional publishing house.
According to reports, one of the most current trends in fiction novels is the surge in limited versions, as individuals like the head of the private equity owner of Waterstones would likely validate. To put it simply, even more bookworms are investing in uncommon, limited edition versions of their much-loved novels. These novels could have gold-sprayed edges, or stunning covers or exclusive material. Even more bookworms are intending to accumulate 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.