What social media do you pay attention to when analyzing reading trends?
BookTok right now is the most powerful force affecting trends—that’s where a lot of younger readers are. If people are looking for a text-based platform to talk about what they’re reading, Reddit is that place—there are some huge reader communities there. And Facebook groups are still very powerful, though they’re a different demographic than BookTok.
What do you predict will be the hot romance trends in 2026?
People want books with big emotions, to go on a huge emotional journey. We’re due for another Nicholas Sparks–style author writing romantic tragedies, as we’re seeing people testing the boundaries of the “happily ever after.” It’s cathartic, when the world is so bad, to cry about something else.
Why do you think romance is so hot?
Romance has been a huge genre forever. People love escapism. Because of BookTok, and with the rise of romance bookstores, younger readers unabashedly talk about their love of romance; in the past, it might have been more, “I’m hiding my books.” We’re in a golden age— any kind of romance you want to read, it’s out there. Indie publishing has expanded the genre so dramatically, people can find whatever they’re looking for.
Is there a genre you predict people will drift away from next year?
We’ve seen a lot of sports romance in the past few years, but that’s cooling—though people who really love hockey romance will always find it.
