From flourishing microgenres such as horror romance and romantasy to the latest BookTok sensations, bookish trends have dominated 2024 with a fervor any bibliophile can be proud of. As the new year creeps up on the horizon, so do the Bookstr team’s predictions for the upcoming year. Read on to see what we think the next viral trends will be!
Sprayed Edges and Hard Cover Embossments
The publishing industry has taken note of the excitement surrounding special edition books, especially with sprayed edges, through subscription boxes. This is especially true in relation to sprayed edges with designs rather than just solid colors. The latter half of 2024 has already seen an explosion of new releases straight from the publishers with beautiful sprayed edges. And in addition to that, hardcover books are getting gorgeous illustrations and foiled embossments under their dust covers. The industry is catching on that we want our books to be just as beautiful on the outside as the stories inside are.
Kristi Eskew, Executive Editor
Interest in Female-Oriented Manga Titles
There’s a strong shoujo and josei community in online manga spaces, but American publishers aren’t picking up a lot of shoujo or josei titles. That being said, there seems to be a renaissance emerging in the anime-sphere for these demographics. As demand grows, I think professionals are gonna notice and, hopefully, cater to the readers’ interests. Even if they don’t, I project that manga content creators will continue to push harder and harder for this in 2025 and beyond.
Gabriela Collazo, Editorial
Book Clubs
I think that readers joining book clubs as a way to socialize will become more of a trend in 2025. The growing popularity of book clubs could also connect to a renewed interest in bookish events in general. I also see virtual book clubs becoming more of a thing, as a lot of Gen Z readers are on BookTok and want to talk to and bond with other people about their favorite reads.
Melissa Rogers, Outreach
Full-Cast Audiobooks
Immersive audiobook adventures! Audiobook adaptations and original releases have gotten so awesome now with their use of multiple voice actors and sound effects.
Erin Dzielski, Editorial
Silent Book Reviews
Short videos of the bookish community giving their very silent, yet very expressive personal reactions to the books that they’ve read. It’s the funniest trend to watch, and I believe we will see more of it in 2025! Book reviews are evolving, and short and fast reviews — especially when they have comedic elements — always keep viewers engaged.
Amber Alexander, Outreach
Increased Diversity in Children’s Literature
Over the past ten years, inclusive representation in children’s picture and middle grade books has been on the rise, and we’re starting to see the positive effects of young readers seeing themselves and their communities represented in stories. Unfortunately, there’s also been plenty of pushback in the form of book bans and censorship, but it hasn’t stopped the industry from taking a chance on books that encourage pride and acceptance of underrepresented identities.
Cara Broel, Outreach & Editorial
Eco-Friendly Publishing Practices
As more businesses turn towards using natural, non-toxic ingredients to make their products and begin to focus on their environmental impacts, I really hope to see an increase in authors and publishers who choose to use new, zero-waste production to make their books safe for the environment. I want to enjoy my stories without thinking about all the trees cut down for the pages, or about the microplastics coming from the synthetic covers of the books.
Peyton Clark, Editorial
What are your predictions for the next big bookish trend? Be sure to let us know on our socials!
To look back on our predictions for this past year, check out Bookish Trends We Think We’ll See in 2024.
Take a look at our all-time favorite books on Bookstr’s Team Recommendations!
