Publishing In The News
There are weeks when the headlines from the publishing world are exciting, even energising. And then there are weeks like this one, when the weight of what's shifting feels heavier.
A few stories have stood out to me recently: the sharp decline in reading for pleasure among young people; the ongoing discussion of AI as a creative force in publishing; and the economic collapse of once-promising crowdfunding platforms like Unbound. Together, they tell a story of an industry at a crossroads, and, for many of us, a reminder of why we chose to be in it in the first place.
Let’s start with reading for pleasure. Recent reports confirm that the number of children who say they enjoy reading is now at a two-decade low. In fact, a shocking 1 in 4 children under the age of four are not read to at all. If you work in publishing, that number should stop you in your tracks. Because it’s not just a statistic, it’s a red flag for the next generation of readers.
When we lose young readers, we don’t just lose sales. We lose the habit of reading. The joy of disappearing into a story. The emotional literacy that comes from seeing the world through someone else’s eyes. And once those things are gone, they’re hard to get back. As a publisher, author, or bookseller, this matters. Deeply.
If we want to reverse this, we have to meet families where they are. That means content that’s accessible, inclusive, and available across formats. But it also means stepping up in schools, libraries, and local communities. Because reading isn’t just a solitary act. It’s a shared one. And it starts with being read to, not with a reading list.
Meanwhile, the industry’s obsession with AI continues to accelerate. A recent prediction that an AI-written novel could top the bestseller list by 2030 caused a stir, and not the good kind. For the record: I’m pro-AI. I use it to support admin, enhance productivity, and manage research. But I draw a very clear line. AI can assist. It should not create.
A bestselling novel is not a maths problem to be solved. It’s a human experience. It’s messy, intuitive, emotional. And when we reduce it to an algorithm, we miss the point entirely. We also risk flooding the market with synthetic content at the exact moment we should be investing in authentic voices.
This brings me to the final headline: Unbound, the crowdfunded publisher that reimagined how books could be brought to market, recently entered administration. The company had heart. It backed riskier books. It supported authors the traditional model left behind. But in the end, the financial model wasn’t sustainable.
There’s a warning here. Disruption is exciting until it collapses. Then it leaves unpaid authors, disillusioned readers, and damage that takes years to repair. As we explore new models, from subscriptions to crowdfunding to AI-curated platforms, we must not lose sight of the basics: trust, clarity, and fair pay.
So what does all this tell us? That publishing in 2025 is fragile in some ways, flourishing in others. That readers are still here, but we have to fight harder to keep them. And that the choices we make now, as writers, publishers, and technologists, will shape the cultural shelf life of books for decades to come.
The future is not about faster content. It’s about supporting authors, deeper connections and using tech wisely. And that starts not with code, but with story. One that someone wants to read, and, ideally, be read.
Ok I’ll step down off my soap box now!!