I hoping I’m not breaking a rule that I always tell my students and that’s to never write to trends.
However, I thought it would be fun to do some research and try to figure out what’s going to be hot in the world of fiction for 2024 and maybe even beyond…
First of all, I think self-publishing is going to continue to be the in thing so if you’ve been on the fence about giving it a try, I’d say go for it.
And as for audio books. I have a feeling that they’re going to get more popular as people seem to have less time for reading. I think people like listening to things too, hence the rise in podcasts.
The same goes for short fiction, less time but people still want their reading fix.
Now to the genres I think will be worth looking at-
Romance is always a favorite and I don’t think anything’s going to change. We might even see a new sub-genre emerge or even a hybrid with something as polar opposite as horror.
Speaking of horror. I don’t have to tell you there’s lots to worry about in the world right now and sometimes the worse things get the more people love to read and watch horror. It’s sort of like I think I have it bad, but phew, this guy has it ten times worse. I think it’s the ultimate escape from what’s really going on in reality and more people will crave it.
Mystery, I’m going to take a guess that it’s still a hot genre. Once again there’s an escape element where you delve into the world of crime and mayhem, finding clues and trying to solve the mystery before the main character.
Sci-Fi, it’s going to be just 6 years until we enter a new decade and the older I get, the more I think that anything beyond 2030 sounds like pure sci-fi. Come up with something good, something that no-one’s ever thought of before but could be at least plausible and I think you have a winner.
Finally, fantasy. I’m seeing more of these titles on platforms and many are in the young adult category. If you want to give a new genre a try and see where it takes you, my recommendation would be fantasy.
I’d love to hear what you think are going to be the top genres for 2024.
And check back tomorrow because the 12 Days of Christmas begins…