As we head into a new year, it’s always on a writer’s mind to wonder what trends will be emerging that could possibly be capitalized on. What’s the next Gone Girl? Who’s currently crafting the next Fourth Wing? What’s the next James or Martyr!? Who will be the next Emily Henry, Tia Williams or Jesse Q. Sutanto?

In publishing, we know a few things about the foibles of making predictions:

  1. Breakout bestsellers are impossible to predict
  2. New genres can start with a single, unexpected book
  3. What you’re writing now may not get published for years, so it’s hard to write to the immediate market
  4. The industry will attempt to shape things in a particular direction, but readers ultimately decide what’s popular
  5. No genre ever really dies, there are rises and falls of all niches across time
  6. Writing the story that calls you is never a bad choice
  7. Every book can find readers
  8. A bestseller doesn’t necessarily have to be on trend
  9. Those already selling millions of copies will likely continue to
  10. Certain genres will (almost) always outperform others
  11. Cultural and social trends can have fast and dramatic impact on art
  12. Genres can reach a point of over saturation, even if they’re popular

Phew, now that we have those caveats out of the way, guess what? I still believe it’s worth talking about genre trends. Despite the many factors that are out of our control, there are also a lot of areas we can learn from, make decisions based on, and utilize in writing, publishing and marketing endeavors.

Why it’s good to know what’s trending in publishing genres?

Despite all the ways in which the industry is unpredictable, there is still value in knowing what’s coming next in publishing.

Writing 

As you’re writing, you might consider the changes that have come over the course of a few years. For example, being hyper specific about writing a certain trope makes romance very marketable. Secondarily, you may find that you need to decide which side of the door your romance lies on (open or closed). Meaning, will your book be sexually explicit, or will it be a clean rom-com where those moments are implied in a “fade-to-black” sort of way? Both have a market, but you’ll likely want to be intentional about your decision because audiences have very strong opinions in both directions.

Publishing

If you’ve already written a book and are planning to either query agents or self-publish this year, it’s important to understand where your book fits in the market. If it’s on trend or slightly ahead of it (first of all, woohoo!) you can use recent comp titles and timely news to reinforce the relevance of your book. So much in publishing is about timing, and while that can be purely based on luck, it can also be about positioning. Use the up-and-coming trends as a way to demonstrate where your book fits in the market. Both industry professionals and readers want to ride the wave of buzzy books and if you can frame your story to fit that trend, you have a good shot.

This understanding can also help you avoid pitching your book in the wrong way. If you’ve written a YA dystopian novel, you might want to be aware that there is a dip in that genre at the moment (post-Hunger Games and Divergent). This could lead you to focus more on the elements of your book that are working with trends and less on the aspects that aren’t.

Marketing

When it comes to marketing your book, it’s good to know what’s trending because even a backlist title can get some renewed attention if it’s plugged in to an ongoing popular theme. For example, a book you may have originally marketed as strictly time travel sci-fi, might get new life by being marketed as time travel romance. Readers have been more invested in cross-genre romance lately, so changing up marketing copy, running some fresh BookBub ads, maybe even updating your covers could get your existing books into the hands of new readers. Or it might just inform how you market a brand new book to make sure your story finds the ravenous readers currently gobbling up that genre.

What are the trending genres in publishing for 2025?

Predictions about genre trends are relative. I’m basing my take around what I know as a publishing professional for nearly 15 years, an author, the editorial director of a major book-focused site (SheReads.com) as well as looking at recent bestsellers, data analyzed by AI and the general tone within the industry as well as the cultural mood. Depending on who you ask, this perspective may change, but there are some fairly solid genres we can anticipate rising/continuing to rise in 2025.

Romantasy

From Sarah J. Mass’ ACOTAR to Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and Rachel Howzell Hall’s recent novel, The Last One, “romantasy” is the hot—perhaps the hottest—genre at the moment. That blend of an otherworldly setting with steamy main characters filling the pages with sexual tension is flying off the shelves.

However, it has been a winning genre for years now. This means that while there is probably still room in the market for newcomers (especially if you can carve out a niche within a niche by treading new ground inside the space) there is likely a plateau coming soon. In the next year or two, it’s likely that this genre will start to experience a slow down. For now, however, this beloved BookTok genre is still top of the TBR for a lot of readers.

Romanta-everything

As we see romantasy heading for its peak, other genres are ripe for this romance infusion into an otherwise less love-centered genre. From science fiction to historical fiction, thrillers to cozy mysteries, a new genre class is likely to emerge in every main category from this draw to spicy books. If you’re a fan of hot and heavy romance, but also have a knack for some of the other fiction pillars, it might be worth considering merging the two and creating the next “romantasy” genre in your own area of interest.

Grounded Speculative Fiction

There is a lot of hand wringing at the moment about what our futures hold. From climate concerns to AI, WWIII to private space travel, the world is changing faster than any of us can seem to keep up with. Literature has a way of crystalizing these issues in story that can potentially reach even more people than the news. So as you contemplate the years to come, consider these prescient issues we face and consider incorporating those topics into your work. This tends to fall into a science fiction category, but can really be featured across genres.

Hidden Historical Fiction and Contemporary Takes on the Past

There are some areas of historical fiction that are considered well-tread ground. And example of this would be WWII. We’ve seen a lot of stories focused on this time period, but as the years tick by, there is a lot of history to cover. And despite what we millennials want to confront, the 80s, 90s and even the early 00s are a part of history that hasn’t been covered as much. There are also points of view on history that have yet to be taken. A prime example would be the 2024 top hit, The Women by Kristin Hannah. This plot was centralized around the Vietnam War (a lesser covered part of war history) and it was told from the point of view of the women who served (certainly not the common take). So, in terms of historical fiction, looking for those pieces of history yet to be illuminated or telling told stories from an angle that has yet to be considered, has a lot of potential in the market.

Another fabulous example of this was found in one of the best books of 2024, James, a fresh and beloved take on the Mark Twain classic that explored Huckleberry Finn through the lens of the enslaved man, Jim. Thinking of the stories that have been told, but finding a new way to tell them is likely to continue to grow in popularity.

Diverse Stories

The literary world is still in need of a more diverse landscape where stories are told from marginalized perspectives or familiar stories are told through an unfamiliar lens. From LGBTQ+ romance to authors of color writing fantasy, there is so much opportunity to add richness to any genre through authors and characters who are coming at a story with a unique, underrepresented POV.

Genres that are particularly in need of more diversity included horror (think how movies like Get Out have evolved this genre in film) and thrillers (think Bath Haus by P.J. Vernon). While romance, contemporary and sci-fi tend to have a little more permeation, there are still a lot of literary arenas where a broader array of voices is needed.

Get Cozy 

In 2020, many readers began to seek “comfort reads.” Books with low stakes, high fun and minimal anxiety. Again, as the world faces an ever-increasing amount of strain, busyness and difficulty, the need for escapist fiction has never been greater. Sometimes we just want to feel good, laugh and get a happy ending. So whether it’s a cozy mystery set in a small town, a cozy fantasy about fun-loving trolls on an adventure or a cozy sci-fi (think The Midnight Library) that uses devices like time travel or parallel universe to speak to something deeply human, many readers are in search of light, easy fiction that entertains. A story doesn’t have to be complex or hard hitting to be enjoyable.

AI-Focused Literature

Now, I may be a bit biased in this prediction as I have just recently completed a draft of a speculative fiction book on AI… however, I wrote this book for a reason. As some are beginning to understand and many have still yet to fully comprehend, we’re about to undergo a change to the planet unlike any we have ever seen in our lifetime. The growing presence of AI in our world is an all-consuming dive into a literal brave new world. We can’t begin to understand what this will do to change our day-to-day lives, global politics, the economy, and our collective destiny as a species. But AI won’t enter the conversation simply through speculative fiction (although, I think a huge surge of that is coming), it is also going to affect how we tell stories. From building immersive worlds that partner with our books via AI-created spaces to entirely new fronts for publishing, marketing and writing, having an eye on AI is going to be crucial for authors. Even if you have zero intention of incorporating the conversation around AI into your narrative, staying tuned in to how it will change publishing is going to be crucial for the modern writer.

Genres on Their Way Out in 2025

I never like making these predictions because, to me, it’s a bit of a construct of the traditional publishing industry itself. Often it’s industry professionals deciding what’s out because, frankly, they’ve tired of it and are always in search of what’s new. Just because publishing says “this is out” doesn’t mean that readers are saying that. This is often an arena where the indie market swoops in and dominates. For these genres, traditional publishing may decide they are done for now, but there will still be thousands of readers waiting for the next YA vampire book in a post-Twilight landscape or the next love unreliable female narrator in a post-Girl on the Train world. And those readers aren’t wrong to like what they like and we’d be crazy as writers to neglect our preferences and their’s in favor of what the industry has deemed outdated, so take this part of the list with a grain of salt. And know that I’m listing this mainly because I think it provides valuable insight to authors who are hoping for a trad deal and want to understand the landscape.

However, some genres do in fact just run their course either due to over saturation and cultural shifts.

Straightforward Rom-Coms

Okay, hear me out! I completely understand if your initial response is to get mad at me. Romance/rom-com is the most popular, bestselling genre, no doubt. I’m not trying to imply it’s going away. What I am saying, is I believe agents and publishers are hitting a tipping point where they aren’t looking to sign as many new authors to these spaces. They have their authors covered in this category so I feel that breaking into the space (inside traditional publishing) is difficult at the moment. Emily Henry, in my opinion, brought a huge wave of readers and authors to the space and I believe the industry is onboarding fewer and fewer new authors for this genre (but not necessarily producing fewer books in the genre).

Rom-com was an evolution from the previously named “chick lit” category. So I believe, like it already has, that we will continue to see iterations of this genre. Colleen Hoover brought a new modality into the modern landscape with romances that had a lot of trauma and dark subject matter. Romantasy took the love into other worlds. So I believe we will continue to see evaluations of the genre that create space for new voices, however, I’m going to stand by my potentially unpopular opinion and say that straight forward rom-coms is no longer a high opportunity space for emerging authors.

Dramatic Dystopias

From The Walking Dead to The Hunger Games, these extreme scenarios where the world/country upends in somewhat unlikely and unfathomable ways has declined in popularity. I believe this genre of dramatic, often metaphorical, dystopias has had its run for the moment, but I don’t believe dystopias are off the table, I think they just have to be more grounded, as mentioned above. Morbid as it may be, people are curious about how the world might actually come to an end given the current afflictions we are suffering.

Paranormal Romance Migration

While paranormal romance was everything in 00s and 10s, there has been a decline in that commercial arena ever since. However, this space seems less like it has declined and more like it has migrated. Instead of YA love triangles featuring vampires and werewolves the books have become erotic reverse harem’s featuring monsters of all sorts… if you catch my drift. Yes, those of us who were reading angst-filled paranormal romance in the early part of the century are just adults now reading a smuttier version of the same. Books like Bride by Ali Hazelwood are now in the hands of those of us who, at one point, were either “Team Edward” or “Team Jacob”. Do with that information what you will.

Exceedingly Violent Epic Fantasy

You know who I’m talking about. The Game of Thrones-esque world and all that followed has had its time. Most of us rode the wave and while it was a captivating, twisted, often horrifying ride while it lasted, it seems, culturally, we’re a little less inclined to gravitate towards stories where unabashed depictions of torture, sexual violence or other such taboo topics are something we go to for entertainment. If I were to make a guess, a re-treading of epic fantasy more akin to LOTR stands a better chance in the current climate than a fresh take on the grim worlds featuring the most morally off-putting characters in fiction.

One-Note Erotica

Spicy readers are evolving too. In the wake of Fifty Shades of Grey, steamy, unflinching sex came out from the dark and took center stage on the page. Most “smut” readers can agree that there is a progression when you begin reading the genre. First, it’s an intense over dose of all things hot and heavy, but as you progress, you’re looking for a little plot with your heat, a little character development with your tension. So while there is a market for the down and dirty, one-note, predictable books for the sake of spice is on its way out. And complex, well-developed books that require a fan to cool off, are in.

How do I do my own genre trend research?

If the lists above didn’t hit on the space you’re writing, you might want to do some research of your own to get a feel for your particular literary corner.  So below, I’ve provided a few ways you can do your own research to get a better idea of what’s in and what’s out in your genre.

Conduct research based around these questions about your genre:

  • Who is getting the book deals?
  • What kinds of TV shows are getting renewed?
  • What books are being adapted to film and TV?
  • What were the big books over the last three to five years in this genre? In all genres?
  • What books are trending on social media?

If you have agents, authors or even just avid readers in your life, talk to them. Industry professionals will help you understand they believe your genre is headed, authors will help you feel confident telling your story despite what the trends say, and readers will remind you why you’re doing this in the first place! Arm yourself with information, but use your intuition to develop the story you want to tell.