Fall Publishing Trends
Just like the changing leaves, publishing trends shift with the seasons, and this fall is no exception. From how people are reading to what their reading, let’s take a look at what’s trending in the book world right now.
Super Tuesday
Super Thursday is a publishing trend where publishers release a large number of books on a single day. That day is Oct 9 this year. But unlike in years past, the publishers have decided to roll out their large titles on a rolling scale starting in August through October, instead of releasing everything in a single day. This is likely due to the volatile nature of the consumer landscape right now.
All About AI
Obviously AI is a trending topic in every industry right now, and the publishing industry is no different. Publishers are trying to figure out how to get ahead of the AI growth by finding new ways to utilize AI while not alienating the creatives they work with.
One of the big pushes that we are seeing in the industry is AI voice actors. This comes with a lot of mixed reviews. Some say it would make audiobooks more accessible while others see it as the downfall of an entire industry. Personally, I don’t think we can replicate the work that a voice actor does, but I fear the AI is adapting so quickly, I might be wrong.
What I definitely don’t want to see are books written by AI. I think AI has its uses and can be helpful in a lot of ways, but let’s leave the creative stuff to the humans, please.
Cottagecore leveled up
We saw the rise of Cottagecore this year with people make everything cottagecore (gardens, bookshelves, living spaces, and clothing). Personally, I love the cozy vibes of cottagecore. But now we are seeing it taken to the next level of cottagecore/chateaucore. Now we are seeing cozy cottagey vibes but with a more dark academia feel to them. And I’m honestly here for it.
Audiobooks on the rise
Audiobooks sales are up! Personally, I think Bookshop.org and their genius social media marketing team are to thank for this one. Their followers were really excited about their audiobook sales.
Influencer Marketing is Increasing
Publishers are leaning more into the creator space, leaning on influencers and content creators to help push bookish content. TikTok has been a huge influence on this space.
Author Sales Force
Increasingly, authors are being required to push their books more. We are starting to see a trend of publishers requiring authors to already have a platform before they agree to publish.
Trends are ever-changing but I believe books are constant.