What Books Actually Sell?
Episode #302 | Art by Lee White
Should you let trends drive your creativity? How concerned should you be about saturated markets? Sam Cotterill, Lee White, and Jake Parker discuss the state of the publishing industry and how to navigate it successfully in 2026.
SHOW LINKS
Penguin Random House News for Authors
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Keep tabs on the zeitgeist so you can add to the conversation (without obsessing over trends)
Notice an emerging pattern in the publishing world? Zig where they zag; find ways to go against the grain to stand out.
The goldilocks zone for your next project: what you’re interested in + what you’re good at + what’s selling.
Loving someone else’s style doesn’t mean you have to imitate it. It’s ok to be purely an admirer.
Find your true fans, add value to their lives, and help them connect with you via newsletters and Patreon (away from the ever-changing tides of social media).
The people who will love your stuff will eventually find you if you continue showing up.
SUMMARY
How important is it to keep up with the trends?
While it’s tempting to try to jump on the same bandwagon as the most popular authors and illustrators, falling in lock-step with the majority isn’t necessarily the best way to success. At the same time, ignoring the zeitgeist can lead you to create work that feels dated. What’s the balance?
Trends come and go quickly, but books take time. If you try to catch a particular wave as it’s peaking, you’ll find yourself slightly behind it by the time your book is published. Rather than hustling to keep up or completely disregarding what’s relevant, keep your finger on the industrial pulse so you can add to the conversation from your perspective. You can even deliberately create something opposite of what’s hot to stand out from the crowd—but in an educated way, not an unintentional one.
The goldilocks zone for the most fulfilling, profitable work is a combination of what you’re good at, what you’re interested in, and what’s selling. Take out any one of these legs from your stool, and you’re likely to lose balance. Access all three, and you’ve discovered creative heaven: passion, skill, and profit.
Tune in to the rest of the episode for the tea on which book genres sold best in 2025, how to find enough fans to support your work, and how to make yourself independent of changing tides in social media.