2020 was a turbulent year for publishing, with the pandemic bringing changes, challenges, and opportunities. The many effects of the pandemic on publishing continue to be seen in 2021.

From an accelerated move to purchasing publications online, to the need for digital-savvy staff, and a surprising preference for print in some areas of publishing, publishing trends in 2021 are driven by the continuation of both pre-pandemic and pandemic-led trends.

To learn more about where publishing is heading, read on for the 15 top publishing trends in 2021!

Publishing Trends in 2021

The following are what we perceive to be the 15 most prominent publishing trends in 2021.

1. Increased Sales in the Publishing Industry

There have been many challenges within the publishing industry over the last year, and changes and challenges will continue to be evident. Despite this, overall sales of publications will, at a minimum, remain stable through 2021 and will likely continue to grow.

Type of Purchases

This healthy level of sales is seen primarily in the sale of fiction and non-fiction books. Sales of publications like newspapers and magazines are a bit more unstable. This is especially true of print versions of these publications that continue to see sales declining.

Within the fiction and non-fiction sector, there has been an increase in purchasing books focused on social justice and other social issues. This trend will continue through 2021, with more and more consumers becoming interested in this genre.

An increase in non-fiction purchases among younger readers is noticeable too, in part driven by at-home learning.

Overall sales of publications will remain stable through 2021 and will likely continue to grow.

2. The Continued Digital Transformation

Another publishing trend in 2021 is the continued move from print to digital publishing. Currently, 44% of the global population reads some type of content from publishers online. This number will increase through 2021 and onwards.

The scale of the print to digital transition depends on the type of content that is being published.

Newspaper and magazine content online is in high demand, with print sales decreasing year over year. However, there is still a place for print books, as discussed more later on.

Digital Publications

The accelerated move to consuming digital publications is here to stay through 2021. The pandemic has seen a surge in ebook sales for entertainment, education, and professional use. While print is still preferred in the book publishing sector, the popularity of ebooks will continue to grow.

A continued move to reading news articles and magazine-style content online will be seen as well. Unlike with books, demand for print in this sector is dropping more and more rapidly.

News and magazine publishers need to really focus on digital content and making revenue via paid online content and digital subscriptions. Offering video and multimedia content will be very important too.

3. The Rise of Audiobooks and Podcasts

Along with increasing consumption of e-books, a digital publishing trend in 2021 will be the continued increase in the consumption of audiobooks. We will even see a move to podcasts or the addition of podcasts to the offerings of some publishers.

In fact, over half of the US population will subscribe to at least one podcast by the end of 2021. A similar increase in using audiobooks this year makes the audiobook and podcast markets highly desirable to publishers.

4. An Increase in E-commerce

A noticeable publishing trend in 2021 is an increase in online sales of publications.

The trend of buying publications online as opposed in brick-and-mortar stores was seen before the pandemic. This publishing trend has been accelerated due to the pandemic; as physical shops were forced to close and consumers were encouraged to stay home, buying online has become even more appealing.

Throughout 2021, more and more physical shops, especially bookstores, will be forced to close due to loss of business. This will result in the move to buying online increasing even more.

By the end of 2021, over half of the US population will subscribe to a podcast, with audiobook sales growing too.

5. A Decline in Bricks-and-Mortar Bookstores

Through 2021, the number of physical books stores and sales at remaining bricks-and-mortar stores will continue to decline.

Despite increases in sales being seen in 2020 and continuing through 2021, there is a significant move to buying online. That trend combined with long closures of shops due to restrictions will see a decline in physical bookstores through 2021.

6. A Preference for Print Books

A publishing trend in 2021 that some may find surprising is a preference for print books over e-books. In Q1 alone of 2021, print book sales were up 29% from Q4 of 2020. This a continuation of the increases in book-buying seen through 2020 since the pandemic began.

However, this is not a purely pandemic-led trend. Over the last few years, of approximately $26 billion of the revenue made by book publishers, only around $2 billion was from e-book sales.

Consumption of e-books will continue to increase through 2021 and beyond. However, print non-fiction and fiction books will continue to outsell e-books well into this decade, not just through 2021.

Where these books are purchased is what will see a major change, with a move to buying online vs. in-store, as discussed.

Why Readers Prefer Print Books

This is because many prefer the experience of reading a print book as opposed to a digital book. Many consumers also find reading a physical book more comfortable, for example, it’s easier on the reader’s eyes.

There is also the issue of having a device that allows you to read e-books. Many are only downloadable on e-readers or tablets not on laptops or desktop computers. You do not encounter tech issues, such as batteries dying, as you read a print book either.

Additionally, print books continue to be a popular gift choice.

7. A Decline in Sales of Print Magazines and Newspaper

In the news and magazine publishing industries, it’s a different story than in the book publishing industry. In 2021, we will see a continued increase in the consumption of digital content over print.

Moving to a digital model will lead to more competition for traditional print publishers in this sector too. To survive, they will need to invest significantly in their digital efforts and create unique content to compete effectively with well-established digital publishers

Despite a general preference for digital, print books will remain more popular than ebooks in 2021.

8. Growth in Digital Subscriptions and Other Paid for Digital Content

With the increased demand for digital content, a noticeable publishing trend in 2021 will be the increased number of publishers monetizing online content to make up for print losses.

Digital subscriptions are now one of the primary revenue streams for many publishers, along with advertising revenue. An average of 30 - 50% of newspaper, magazine, and journal publisher revenue comes from digital subscriptions.

Along with the ease of accessing digital content anywhere, consumers are drawn to digital subscriptions due to subscription rates that are lower than print rates. The extras that are often given to subscribers, such as access to exclusive content or removal of ads, are also appealing.

Some other publishing monetization options that are expected to increase in use through 2021 include:

Content paywalls
Digital advertising options for advertisers - website ad placement, native content, social media promotions, email promotions, etc.
Website and in-app advertising - for example, responsive ads served via the Google Display Network, as opposed to directly paid for by individual advertisers.

9. Continued Impact of Covid-19

Many publishing trends in 2021 will be driven by the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Continued pandemic-led trends include the increase in sales of entertainment and education books, as remote learning continues and restrictions limit social activities.

However, the surge in digital and print publication consumption may fall in the second half of 2021. As normal life picks up again, people may have less free time for reading, decreasing demand and sales.

Also, the increase in online selling and home delivery of products that was accelerated by the pandemic will continue to increase with more consumers buying publications online.

As shops reopen, some brick-and-mortar stores will begin to see sales increase again. Unfortunately, many of these stores are not expected to recover, especially if they have no form of e-commerce operation.

Increased Demand for Medical Publications

The continuation of the pandemic will see a continuation in demand for medical communications. Both those in the medical industry and patients/the general public’s demand for medical news and information has risen since the pandemic began.

This demand will continue until the pandemic is over, with an increased demand for general medical news and communications being seen even past the end of the pandemic.

10. A Greater Focus on Niches

As the publishing market becomes more saturated, a focus on more specific niches will be seen. This is especially crucial for smaller and independent publishers.

Some of this market saturation is due to the increase in self-publishing. The increase in this form of publishing has been led by the ease of digital promotions and creating and uploading e-books.

To stand out and succeed in this sea of publishing competition, publishers will need to focus on more niche audiences.

Digital subscriptions will continue to grow, accounting for 30 - 50% of newspaper and magazine publisher revenues.

11. Marketing Budgets Focused on Digital Development

A publishing trend in 2021 relating to marketing is the increased percentage of marketing budgets used on digital development and promotions.

Even publishers with demand for their print products will need to be promoting products online to get the best results. This includes digital and social media advertising and organic promotions. For many, having a highly user-friendly website that is optimized for SEO will be important too.

As we move through 2021 and onwards, we will see a continued increase in the percent of marketing budgets going towards digital, as opposed to traditional promotion techniques.

12. Increased Investment in IT and Digital Marketing Knowledge

From 2021 onwards, publishers will also need an increased understanding of digital technology and digital promotion methods. Publishers will need to improve their IT and digital marketing skills or invest in employees with that skill set.

A move to ebooks and online magazines requires individuals with the technical knowledge to make that move successful. There is also a need for employees with knowledge of SEO, website design, and digital advertising to help publications be found in the crowded digital marketplace.

Even those continuing to produce and sell a large portfolio of print products will need to drastically increase digital promotions.

13. Cross-Promotion and Partnerships

Along with an increase in digital marketing in the publishing industry, 2021 will see more cross-promotion and partnerships occurring. The use of cross-promotional strategies and partnerships is a great way to reach a wider audience.

These promotions include different authors or publishers partnering up to promote each other. For example, a group of authors may promote each other to their audiences via their website, social media, or emails.

This type of promotion also includes books or other publications being promoted alongside films or before and during events.

14. An Increase in Self-Publishing

Self-publishing has been increasing over the last few years, and this publishing trend will continue in 2021. The ease of promoting yourself in the digital age has made the need to use a publishing house less crucial.

Some of the advertising methods discussed above, like social media promotions and partnerships, are easily accessible to almost anyone without the need for publishing industry professionals to get involved.

The fact that authors don’t even need to print their content anymore, instead using ebook platforms and the like, will result in this trend growing in popularity even more.

15. Education Publishing Becoming More Digital

The pandemic-induced move in 2020 from in-person to remote learning had a noticeable impact on education publishers. This move saw increased demand for digital education books. While there was a growing demand for digital over print education textbooks pre-pandemic, the pandemic accelerated this trend.

In 2021, education publishers need to implement a strategy to ensure they have a good range of digital offerings. Ideally, to replicate each print book in a digital format.

There will also be a growing need to make these digital resources more innovative. This includes creating audiobooks and making digital textbooks more interactive and valuable to teachers and students.

In Conclusion

These are just some of the publishing trends in 2021 that we think will be most noticeable and important to act on. The combination of a fast-changing industry and the continued effects of the pandemic mean that publishing trends could change quickly.

Lots of trend-led opportunities will arise in the next year, but challenges will be evident too. The publishers that can stay on top of trends, build a strategy around them, and take advantage of opportunities will be the ones that get ahead in 2021 and beyond.

15 Top Publishing Trends in 2021