2025 is looking to be a huge year for the book publishing industry; listed here are a few of the biggest trends.

Since 2025 has only began, 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 noticeable patterns that are gaining 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 as well. A good example of this is the modifications to what the most popular book genres are. Previously, categories were a lot more clear-cut and distinct; with the top genre being a close-tie in between either thriller or romance. Nevertheless, in 2024 one of the biggest trends in the book market was a rise in the demand for mixed-genre novels. Rather than read one sort of genre, readers were looking for novels which obscured the lines between a range of different genres. For example, thanks to online book communities on social media, 'romantasy' is a subgenre which escalated in demand. Romantasy is a mixed-genre which blends fantasy and romance together; indicating that there will commonly be a dramatic, turbulent and amazing love story in the midst of a fantasy-driven plot. This may 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 two students at a wizardry school. Whatever it is, it is expected to continue to be incredibly desired in 2025, as people like co-founder of the investment fund which partially owns WHSmith would undoubtedly 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 company, employing a book agent and working with a professional editor. Instead, they have full control over the writing of their book, in addition to the cover design and advertising and marketing campaigns. If they have the money, self-publishers can choose to get physical novels published, or most commonly they can submit their novels to one of the self-publishing sites for individuals to read via web browsers or apps. For those speculating why self-publishing is better, many people suggest that it provides writers a 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 have if they worked with a standard publishing house.

According to records, among the most current trends in fiction books is the increase in limited versions, as individuals such as the head of the private equity owner of Waterstones would likely confirm. Simply put, even more bookworms are investing in uncommon, limited edition variations of their much-loved books. These books might have gold-sprayed edges, or wonderful covers or exclusive material. Far 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.