If you’re like me, you can be a little crazy about numbers and statistics. Math doesn’t lie, after all, although one should always ask where statistics come from. When that math applies to something I love, my nerd flag flies even higher. So math about the most popular book genres? Yes, please.
There are many book genres. Not only is there a distinction between fiction and nonfiction, but there are genres within those, as well as genres by age group. Oh, and there are formats like art books, graphic novels, and so on. So which book genres are the most popular right now? How have they changed over the past few years? Let’s look at some numbers.
Publishing is going well
A recent report from Publishers Weekly examined the industry in April 2024. This report showed that the industry as a whole performed 18.3% better than it did in April 2023, a nice increase from the previous year. While their article didn’t break down the exact numbers by genre, it did show how the numbers have changed from the previous year.
Both adult fiction and nonfiction are doing well. Fiction for young readers is also doing well, while nonfiction for young readers is declining. However, books from religious publishers have seen the biggest gains in the market, up nearly 40% year-on-year.
Although April was strong, the book industry as a whole is only slightly above the previous year’s 2023 figure. The Association of American Publishers’ StatShot showed that book sales before April were up only 0.2% compared to 2023.
The top 5 most popular book genres
To discover the most popular book genres, I had to dig a little and collect some data from different sources. First, I looked at bestseller lists from The New York Times and Amazon. I also read blogs from some book industry analysts like those at Book Writing Pioneer. Here are the most popular book genres as of mid-2024.
1. Romance
Romance novels have dominated the industry for some time. Not only are they popular and have a loyal following, but romance writers have taught the rest of the industry how to sell books. It amazes me that bookstores focused on romance novels are only now popping up all over the country. Book fairs focused on romance novels are also a booming business. According to Romance Writers of America (I can’t find a direct link, but several references this figure), romance novels accounted for 23% of book sales last year. Colleen Hoover has been dominating the bestseller lists lately, but she’s far from the only romance author doing well right now.
2. Fantasy
Fiction that involves escapism has been on the rise in recent years. It was huge during the pandemic and continues to go strong even in a real world with multiple wars, rampant division, and important elections on the horizon. What better way to escape than into the world of fantasy?
Romantasy – a genre mix of romance and fantasy – is currently particularly impressive, given the recent success of Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean Series. Both Fourth wing And Iron Flame was at the top of the bestseller lists for a long time last year and this year. It seems as if a new novel is being published every week following Yarros’ success, keeping both romance and fantasy in the leading positions.
3. Memoirs and biography
This genre of nonfiction can really be divided into two broad camps: celebrity and political. Memoirs by Britney Spears, Matthew Perry, Viola Davis and Michelle Obama topped the nonfiction bestseller lists. But politicians weren’t far behind, and as we get closer to the election cycle, political memoir sales will also increase. Liz Cheney and Ron DeSantis have had recent bestsellers in this area. When politicians throw their proverbial hat in the ring, they often publish books to raise their profile and get their messages out there.
4. Children and young adults
We have left the era behind us, The hunger Games when every literary agent was trying to get their clients to market their books to a younger audience. That is not to say that there is no demand for books for young readers. Demand for picture books remains stable and genres such as fantasy and science fiction continue to dominate the YA market. Although there are currently no single dominant titles in this area, the film adaptation of The Ballad of Birdsong and Snakes helped the book regain bestseller status three years after its publication.
5. True Crime
Here’s the other big part of nonfiction sales: true crime. While some people are crying out for escapism, others need to delve into the reality of human depravity and suffering. From podcasts to streaming shows to bestsellers, true crime is big business right now. Killer of the Flower Moon has been a bestseller for more than half a year. If you’ve heard of a serial killer (or even if you haven’t), there are probably several books that delve into his psyche and the gruesome details of his killing sprees.
Other popular book genres
Of course, there are far more than five book genres. So what does the rest of the top ten look like?
6. Science fiction
7. Mystery/Thriller
8. Historical fiction
9. Self-help
10. History (non-fiction)
The most popular book genres are largely the same as last year. In fact, they are now largely based on last year’s bestsellers. But the numbers don’t lie, so there are books other than romance that are topping the charts, even if it doesn’t feel like it.
Which genre do you push to the top of the bestseller lists?
