What are the biggest selling literary genres each year?

Every so often, there will be a breakout must-read book or an individual who enjoys a great run of success and these are usually reflected in the bestseller lists each year. However, as books come and go, and authors enjoy peaks and troughs, the genres they write in endure.

Some genres are more lucrative than others, although it’s probably best for any aspiring writer to simply concentrate on their craft rather than what kind of book is going to make them a lot of money. 

Even if you do decide to dive into the genre which makes the most money, there’s no guarantee you’ll be coining it in.

In terms of book sales in the US each year, romance and erotica is the top selling genre, raking in around $1.5 billion every year. It’s perhaps not surprising when you consider that authors such as the late Barbara Cartland and Danielle Steele are among the most widely read in the history of literary. 

Second on the last, although a good bit behind, is crime and mystery, a genre which clocks about $730 million each year, showing that we still love a good gripping whodunit or layered thriller to sink our teeth into.

The third biggest selling genre may surprise you, although in many ways it might not if you walk into any bookstore. Inspirational and spiritual books make around $720 million a year, meaning many of us still love a good self-help book or something to help us relax and destress.

Science fiction and fantasy is next, hitting just shy of $600 million a year while horror is a fair bit behind in fifth, generating about $80 million each year.

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Book trends for 2019

Trends in any market are continuously changing as news develops and more discoveries are being made. If you’re a mass book fan or someone who is planning to write your own book, these trends are something to keep in mind for 2019.

Diversity will continue to be a driving economic force in publishing - There’s no doubt that in 2019, diversity continues to be more widely accepted as it should be, and there are more multicultural influential voices in the news. Whether it means including it in your written work or sharing books that involve diversity, it’s something that undoubtedly does well on the publishing front in today’s open and accepting society.

Reading is being done on different mediums - Goodbye are the days where we head down to a bookshop and buy our latest read. Today, avid readers are reading novels in various different mediums and will continue to do so. It could be through online browsing, app reading subscriptions or on a kindle. Fewer people are seeing traditional reading as important and swaying towards the more convenient way - on their mobile device.

Look towards alternative media - As well as different ways to browse books, there are also different ways to write books and other content. Alternative writing platforms exist such as Wattpad, which began 12 years ago and has become one of the greatest fan-fiction websites, used by many. The site now hosts over 550 million stories by writers worldwide. It’s a prime place to have your writing seen and eventually get published.

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