The publishing trade continues to progress. Continue reading for more insights about the trends and talking points ready to take centre stage.
The publishing industry is in the thick of a digital transformation. The change from standard print to the digital sphere has delivered some great changes along the way. The idea of self-publishing – which for so long has not actually been feasible – is way more prevalent. It has created more accessibility for writers and readers alike. Book genres considered obscure or profitless have also found new life in the digital world. Purchasing books on the internet is probably the biggest trends in consumer book buying. But this doesn’t mean that the old ways are entirely gone. Many individuals still like the feel of a paperback when reading their story of preference. There has been enhanced appetite for illustrated books and elegant covers. And fundamentally people still enjoy searching for books in physical shops. Those like the founder of the hedge fund that owns Waterstones could probably tell you how popular traditional bookstores continue to be.
The publishing business has advanced dramatically since the printing press was devised all those centuries ago. Throughout that age, who could envision that people would read books from a device that fits into a little pocket? In the next several years, expect digital publishing trends to continue growing. It is an unbiased fact that we are spending much more time on the phone. But digital usage is not all about electronic books. The smallest to the biggest publishers will use the internet to market the latest releases. You might also see more immersive content targeted at bringing in readership of a younger demographic. Reluctant readers may get rid of paperbacks entirely. Audio books and podcasts have become an extremely popular alternative to tear through the most recent thriller or mystery book. You can see why famed investors like the head of the company with shares in Apple become involved in this area.
It may not shock you to discover that romance is the most popular genre on earth. For generations, authors have plucked at our heartstrings and made us feel a strong emotional relationship with the characters on the page. It’s not surprising literature professors are still teaching these types of tales centuries later on. Publishers still broadly anticipate romance books to be the most lucrative genre in the following years. But there are several other book genre trends climbing up beneath. Science fiction and fantasy books, for example, are soaring in popularity right now. Maybe stimulated by the current situation, dystopian books are flourishing. Themes of isolation and upheaval – more relatable now than ever before – are bringing readers into this darker universe. Industry leaders like the head of the group that owns Hachette Livre will probably wish to keep pace with these fiction trends as people’s tastes change and progress.