2021 Publishing & Book Trends: Digital Platforms & The Growth of Ebooks

 2021 Publishing & Book Trends: Digital Platforms & The Growth of Ebooks

I've been increasingly interested in the global publishing industry for a while now, and recently decided to allocate some time out of my days to check out the trends that we're seeing and the path the publishing industry seems to be following based on available data. I know that many of my readers are fellow writers as well, and thought that writing this post sharing some interesting information I've found, with links to relevant sources, would serve as a helpful tool for you as well as a way for me to learn.

Izzard Ink Publishing reports that the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a growth for digital platforms for selling books, and for ebooks as well. It also also had an impact on which genres and categories of books have been most popular during this time - and it comes as perhaps no surprise: nonfiction, in particular books about relevant social issues and educational books for younger readers. 

Izzard Ink isn't the only company to publish such findings, however. You can find similar trends identified by various organizations active in the publishing industry, examples including here by Written Word Media, here by The Writers for Hire, and here by CJK Group.

Personally, I've been avoiding bookstores during the pandemic, despite the fact that it seems the virus cannot survive more than three days on books (source). That means that all of my books these days have been consumed either as ebooks, audiobooks, or podiobooks. In some cases, I've been reading hard-copy books that I've owned for years but haven't had the chance to get into. I understand that brick-and-mortar bookshops are being hit pretty hard because of the pandemic, but this is a personal choice that I've made to ensure my safety and that of my loved ones - despite my love for physical copies of books. I look forward to doing some serious book shopping when this pandemic dies down!

When I checked out the Amazon Kindle store recently, I found that there were a lot - and I mean a lot - of educational ebooks, primarily geared towards younger students, being offered by various companies with their own curricula. Workbooks, coursebooks, and textbooks in various subjects and of various levels of difficulty are now a common sight for me when I browse through the listings on the Kindle store, and they seem to average around 3 USD per copy. Books on math, literacy and literature, language arts, computer science, and more, are all available for learners as ebooks now. I imagine it's been quite lucrative to offer digital copies of educational books during the pandemic, as many families have made the choice to homeschool their children - and others have had that choice made for them by government officials - in order to protect the health of their communities.

I myself opted not to print my own debut novella, Apartment, and went for an ebook release because of the pandemic, so I have had first-hand experience when it comes to the impact of the pandemic on authors, and how that has led many of us to turn to digital solutions. To make up for a digital release, I even added some goodies to my ebook pack, including a digital journal packet, a book club discussions guide, and even a printable crossword puzzle!

But it's not just digital bookselling platforms and ebooks that are experiencing a growth - it's everything book-related in the online sphere. Audiobooks are increasingly popular as a viable alternative, books created as podcasts have experienced much success, and virtual/interactive novels have been a huge hit for smartphone users around the world. Websites for publishing and sharing your writing, whether in whole or as serialized installments, have also become quite popular, and more visual storytelling methods are taking the internet by storm (ex: webcomics). 

And it goes even farther. Virtual conferences and events have meant increased accessibility for readers, writers, and publishing professionals worldwide. Blog tours, virtual book tours, and even social-media based marketing strategies, have become more popular during the pandemic, where people living in different neighbourhoods, cities, or even countries, have found it hard to gather in one place as they might have otherwise been able to prior to the outbreak of COVID-19.

I can see this trend continuing, especially as the pandemic has revealed one very important thing: it can be done, regardless of what others might say. Of course, it isn't the same experience, and virtual experiences will likely never completely replace in-person experiences, but as an alternative that is both cheaper and more accessible, it presents a route for professionals working in the publishing industry that would otherwise be left out or have difficulty accessing and benefiting from important events and opportunities based on where they're located geographically or their financial constraints.

In 2021, we'll see vaccination efforts continue to take place worldwide, with many countries aiming to vaccinate the majority of their populations in order to ensure immunity and stave off more outbreaks. This may mean an eventual return to the norm, with in-person events once again the usual (and, from what I've seen on social media, many such events are being planned from now with the expectation that they will be in-person). While this will probably mean a rejuvenation and revitalization of many brick-and-mortar bookshops and of the traditional publishing industry, I still wonder if it will, as some sources claim, have a somewhat negative impact on the digital publishing & distribution sphere.

That's really all I have to share on this subject for now, but if you have any more insights or would like to correct some of the information shared here, please do let me know. I'm always interested in learning more about the publishing industry as a reader, author, and professional.