The year 2020 has been a challenging yet productive year for ReadersMagnet. The self-publishing company got plenty of opportunities to work better with authors and understand what they look for in book publishing and marketing. ReadersMagnet was also able to test and launch multiple initiates to prove excellent service and superior output to authors (and, to some extent, their readers).

What will book publishing trends look like in 2021? ReadersMagnetexplores the trends:

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Trending book genres for 2021

Romance. Romance will continue to be the most profitable and popular genre in 2021 due to its wide, faithful readership. Common romance subgenres include contemporary romance, inspirational romance, young adult, romantic suspense, and historical romance.

Mystery. The mystery will consistently churn out bestsellers, standalone, and series alike. It helps that mystery fiction novels are being adapted into Netflix series and films, as well as comic books and graphic novels.

Fantasy and science fiction. Despite their differences, science fiction (sci-fi) and fantasy are, in many ways, closely related. Both genres tend to have plenty of creative, imaginary elements, and both are lumped together as speculative fiction.

Thriller and horror. Thriller and horror usually overlap with mystery and fantasy due to their speculative literary nature. Both genres are year-round favorites, as readers will always get obsessed with the dark and paranormal/supernatural side of life.

Young adult. Books geared towards late teens and young adults will continue to sell like hotcakes in 2021. Young adult (YA) fiction encompasses various genres and subgenres, including sci-fi, romance, and fantasy, while dealing with common themes and tropes.

Trending book themes for 2021

Pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic will influence the works of many writers for years to come. Themes and elements, such as panic, global isolation, natural disaster, isolation, and sociopolitical upheaval caused by diseases, will appear in fiction and non-fiction works.

Dystopian. Usually a popular staple of (social) science fiction and fantasy, dystopian elements will be incorporated in many other genres, including YA fiction, in years to come. Dystopian literature made a comeback during the pandemic and will surely inspire future works.

Artificial Intelligence (AI). Humanoid robots with human intelligence have always been popular with sci-fi. Readers will see a rise in literary works dealing with artificial intelligence (especially AI takeover) with the advancement of robotics and AI.

Women. Female writers will continue to take the book-publishing world by storm. We have seen more books by women and featuring strong, independent female characters published and female writers publishing in sci-fi.