Top 7 Book Publishing Industry Trends

The publishing world is never stagnant, so it can be hard to stay on top of the trends. We’ve made it a little easier for you by doing the research.

Top 7 Publishing Industry Trends Happening Right Now:

1. Audiobook sales are up.

If you’ve been thinking about converting your published book into an audiobook, now is a great time to do it. Audiobook sales are up, and we don’t see this trend going away any time soon. The audiobook format is great for readers on the go or those who want to multi-task. Where it would be impossible to read a book and complete some monotonous chores around the house, it’s completely possible to listen to an audiobook while doing those same chores.

2. Organic search is down.

What does this mean for your book? It basically means it has become harder for people to organically search and find your book in web browsers. The only way around this roadblock is to put a budget toward paid ads. Wherever you pay to have your ad displayed, your book advertisement will show up for users who visit that website or results page (if you use Google ads).

3. The eBook market is up.

The eBook market is a bit finicky, sometimes it’s up and sometimes it’s down. Right now, the eBook market is up. Remember though, just because the eBook market may be up, that doesn’t mean the print market is down. The two don’t always have a direct effect on each other.

4. Email lists are important.

If you haven’t already created an email subscriber sign-up form to place on your website, now is a great time to do so. Having an email list means you have an audience at your fingertips when you want to email them about a new blog post you’ve published on your website, a new event you’ll be signing books at, or the release date of your next book.

5. Authors need to actively promote their own books.

This one is true for both self-published and traditionally published authors. A lot of your book marketing is dependent on you. So, use social media regularly, launch a giveaway for your book, or do something else to actively market your book to readers.

6. Wide distribution is still dominating.

It’s so important to have as many versions of your book (hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook) available as possible. Your target readers won’t all read your book the same way, so you have to meet your readers where they are.

7. Bold typography, dimension, and movement are in for cover designs.

If you’ve perused a bookstore lately—online or in-store—you may have noticed there’s been a huge shift in cover design over the last year. Bold typography on a solid background or covers with dimension and movement are having a major moment in the spotlight. Bold typography is ruling nonfiction An example of this style is the new release, Designing Your Work Life. Multi-dimensional, movement-style designs are extremely popular in fiction, such as The Dutch House.

What trends have you recently noticed in publishing? Have you applied any specific trends to your current book project?

Learn more about writing and publishing your book by calling 1-866-381-2665 for a free 30-minute consultation with one of our Publishing Consultants.