Publishing Trends for 2026

Publishing doesn’t reinvent itself. Not really, it shuffles forward in small, reluctant steps while swearing it’s innovating. But even in an industry this slow to change, there are shifts happening right now that will shape 2026 in very real ways.

These are the ones that count.

1. AI is moving from novelty to necessity.
AI isn’t “disruption” anymore. It’s becoming the unglamorous machinery running behind the scenes. Publishers have been steadily integrating AI into everyday workflows for a while now, mainly in areas like metadata optimisation, admin-heavy tasks and production processes. It isn’t something most houses talk about publicly, not because it’s taboo, but because they prefer to keep the focus on human editorial skill rather than the tools that support it. As we move into 2026, AI familiarity will simply become part of the professional baseline across the industry.

Another thing to note - job listings at major houses now include AI tools as essential skills, and distributors are rolling out new AI-driven systems. The infrastructure is already shifting.

2. Hybrid publishing will hit a quality split.
There’s been an explosion of hybrid presses since 2020, and the cracks are starting to show. The good ones will get stronger and the cheap, chaotic, throw-it-at-KDP-and-hope-for-the-best operations will disappear (as will hopefully more of the vanity publishers that give us a bad name). Authors are more informed, less willing to be sold a dream and more demanding of proper service.

ALLi standards are tightening, and authors have more access to information. Low-quality outfits are being called out publicly and rightly so.

3. Business books will move back to depth, not hype.
Readers have had enough of manifesting, hacks and “10 secrets you already knew”. They want solid guidance from people with lived experience, backed by something more substantial than buzzwords.

Sales data shows growth in practical business and personal development titles offering outcomes rather than inspiration.

4. Slow-burn visibility will beat launch-day theatrics.
The belief that everything hinges on the first week is fading. Algorithms respond better to consistent traffic, regular updates and ongoing engagement than a single, panicked push.

Amazon’s ranking and category relevance systems now favour long-term activity over short bursts. This is great news for the indies, for too long we’ve had to compete with huge marketing budgets and some “dodgy” sales tactics, this should now even out the playing field.

5. Audio and short-form content will keep expanding.
Audio remains publishing’s healthiest format. Mini guides, serialised content and shorter expert-led pieces are gaining traction because people actually finish them.

Audible, Spotify and Bookwire have invested heavily in short-form audio, backed by strong listener-completion data.

6. Data-driven decisions are finally taking root.
Editors aren’t relying solely on instinct. They’re testing ideas, keywords and positioning before committing. It’s still not Silicon Valley levels of data use, but it’s miles ahead of where the industry was even 24 months ago.

What we’re seeing is improved analytics tools, Amazon data insights and BookScan trends are becoming part of early decision-making.

7. Rights trading is picking up again.
Rights teams are more active, especially for non-fiction, YA, memoir and commercial fiction. Smaller presses are starting to develop rights strategies instead of treating them as an afterthought.

This year the rights activity at LBF and Frankfurt has noticeably increased, and translation funding has returned in several territories.

None of this is a dramatic reinvention. It’s the industry doing what it always does: inching forward, resisting change until it can’t, and then pretending it planned it this way all along. But for authors and publishers who pay attention, 2026 is looking like a year where the people who pair genuine expertise with smart positioning will thrive. Slow industry or not, there’s plenty of room to move if you actually know what you’re doing.

I’m looking forward to a year filled with innovation and new opportunities as well as some cracking new titles…