Publishing trends from wizards to vampires to erotica, etc.

I’m sure trends in publishing have been around since the invention of the printing press. But my attention on what’s hot and what’s not in the publishing world started when JK Rowling hit paydirt with Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in 1997.

Wizards and witches became all the rage for more than a decade, from Rowling’s first Harry Potter book to the last in the seven book series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows published in 2007.

The final movie of the series (and there were eight) was released in 2011 so Rowling’s domination of the market for such a long period was phenomenal. She is the second highest paid author in the world, behind James Patterson. Forbes published Rowling’s earnings at $60 million in 2020 (as of 6 April).

The shift from wizards to vampires
Like Harry Potter, the Twilight series attracted a wide readership from YA to adults when it hit the shelves with a bang in 2005.

Vampires and werewolves were suddenly de rigueur as readers fell for the love triangle with a definite twist trope.

Author Stephenie Meyer had a crazy few years pushing out a book a year from 2005 to 2008. The first book in the four book series, Twilight (2005), was followed New Moon (2006) , Eclipse (2007) and Breaking Dawn (2008).

The novels were adapted for film, of course, with the clever producers copying the Harry Potter lead of breaking the final book into two to get much better value for money and keep the fans hanging on, just that little bit longer. Breaking Dawn Part 1 was released in cinemas in 2011 and Part 2 in 2012.

Erotica hits the spot
The next big thing was definitely not aimed at the YA or children’s markets. Fifty Shades of Grey by EL James ‘thrust’ erotica into the limelight in 2011. The genre boomed. Stilettos and feathers, chains and handcuffs, whips and masks (not the COVID-19 type) graced the covers of novels aimed directly at the female market.

It might have been nothing more adventurous than vanilla sex but James’ trilogy gave women permission to read erotica without feeling there was something wrong with them because they wanted to spice up their sex lives.

Game of Thrones goes bonkers
What happened next? From 2011, George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones propelled fantasy to the fore, catapulted into the stratosphere by a smash hit TV adaptation that, like the nine-book series, seemed to go on forever. Again, older kids and adults helped generate massive book sales. And by that time, TV adaptations, gaming and social media were stoking the fire.

So, what’s trending now? You can read all about it in my next post, which I hope to publish in the next two weeks.