2025 is looking to be a large year for the book publishing sector; listed below are some of the largest trends.

Now that 2025 has just started, it is a great time to make predictions on what the future of book publishing appears like for the year in advance. Whilst there is no crystal ball to tell us the future, specialists check out annual reports to see if there are any prominent patterns that are acquiring traction. If there is a pattern that was consistently and gradually rising all throughout 2024, we can visualize that this will continue this year too. A prime example of this is the adjustments to what the most popular book genres are. Formerly, 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 greatest 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 media, '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 exciting love story in the midst of a fantasy-driven narrative. This might 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 2 students at a sorcery school. Whatever it is, it is expected to stay extremely in-demand in 2025, as people like co-founder of the investment fund which partially owns WHSmith would definitely recognize.

When taking a look at the trends from last year, among the most popular trends was an increase in self-publishing, as individuals like the CEO of the media conglomerate which owns Penguin Random House would verify. Primarily, what is self-publishing? To put it simply, self-publishing is when aspiring authors determine to take publishing right into their own hands, instead of go down the conventional route of being signed to a publishing company, employing 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 cash, 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 individuals to read through browsers or applications. For those thinking about 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 conventional publishing house.

According to records, among the most current trends in fiction novels is the rise in limited editions, as people like the head of the private equity owner of Waterstones would likely affirm. To put it simply, more readers are investing in rare, 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 accumulate a few special variations of novels, whether this be for their very own personal collection or with the purpose to sell them at a later date.