The 2026 Vancouver International Publishing Conference was mind-opening. Publishing professionals’ insights and authors candidly sharing their experiences were food for thought… Not everything is rosy in the publishing world.
With 4 million books released in English in the U.S. in 2025, a 30 percent increase from 2024, over 3 million were self-published. Between trends and genres, traditional vs. self-publishing, and the dim reality of sales, it’s like the Wild West out there.
About Publishing Trends
Publishers don’t follow trends. They meet trends, based on marketing campaigns, TV shows, societal behaviors, and competition research. In dark times, comedy often takes over. Other times, authors solicit new trends. Trends can be missed, too!
Kids bringing back hacky sacks (or the resurgence of the TV series The Gilmore Girls (2000), for example) show a craving for ‘old-fashioned’ connection with a community. Romance is still in great demand, with a new fascination for romantasy, a combination of romance and fantasy. These readers used to be in their 40s; they are now in their 20s. Overall, people tend to read digital material more than books. However, consistent book readers read more.
What about children and books, I wondered? In the UK, children read more. In the US and Canada, they read less and perform at lower reading levels. Children’s books remain a staple of the publishing industry.
About Acquisition and Publication
And, what about imprints? One of the “Big Five” (traditional) publishers, Penguin Random House has more than 100 imprints to categorize genres and target their audience.
The timeline from acquisition to publication is still two years. It’s a challenge when self-publishing agencies and small traditional publishers can do it in less than one year. However, traditional publication can be rushed: books on soccer, for example, in view of FIFA.
What About Self-Publishing?
The self-publishing industry is booming. And yet, it can cost an author up to 15K, with a significant marketing/PR plan. There are several publishing scenarios: traditional, with a self-publishing agency, or independently. Broadly, a traditionally published author earns $1 to $2 per paperback book at a $14.99 retail price, with zero upfront costs. A self-published author with an agency earns $3.60-4.05, but must sell roughly 100 to 500 copies to recover investment. An indie-published author (no agency) earns $4.50. On average, a book sells 500 copies over time.
Traditional publishing involves a thorough editing process and a six-month marketing campaign before release, after first, passing the book proposal’s lengthy test.’ Whether self-publishing is a matter of choice or the only option, most authors prefer fast-track self-publishing to the traditional process.
Is the difference between traditional and self-publishing a matter of quality and scope? Readers and retailers can be the judges.
About Sales
There is no sure formula. A marketing investment might not convert into significant sales despite good reviews. And yet, an author with no platform might achieve repetitive sales.
The unexpected can happen. For example, the trade wars are directing attention to craft books. A book on wool from a small independent publisher is now a bestseller.
Either way, traditional or self-publishing requires an investment of the author’s time. After writing a book and getting published, an author must keep the marketing wheel turning through social media, websites, festivals, relationships with bookstores and libraries, and other publicity efforts.
What About Bestsellers?
The bestseller status is not as clear as it sounds. It’s determined by the number of sales achieved in a week. In the US, it depends on whether a title made the New York Times list (for all genres and formats) or USA Today (based on editorial preference). Making a bestseller’s list often happens after a book release: pre-orders boosted that first week.
In Canada, the Globe and Mail, the major Canadian newspaper, and the Toronto Star get their sales data from Booknetcanada.ca, but separate the genres, which favors niche markets.
A book with 5,000 sales over the years is deemed a “Canadian Bestseller.” In the U.S., it’s 5,000-15,000. As for awards, they are validation, an attention-getter, but don’t always translate into sales.
Bookstore Business
Support your local bookstore! A spread in a newspaper, for example, helps the bookstore owner determine whether a book (and its author!) is a good fit. In Vancouver, Indigo, the only Canadian bookstore chain, is a great supporter of Canadian authors. Heather’s Pick (Indigo’s CEO) has even become an attraction.
Independent bookstore owners know… books. They recognize an AI-created cover… and prefer to support publishing trades.
What about Success?
Authors must keep things in perspective. That initial feeling of success can quickly give way to self-doubt when things settle. A television or podcast appearance, or a magazine feature, can bring a short-lived high.
In the end, the so-called big deal (a contract with a significant advance) is the best-case scenario, but for most authors, it’s word of mouth and connections that matter; it’s selling one book at a time until it adds up.
Only 2 percent of writers complete their manuscripts; getting a book to publication is an achievement that requires thousands of hours, even a decade for nonfiction. In success as in doldrums, authors need to stay grounded and tuned to the latest publishing practices.
The 2026 Vancouver International Publishing Conference – People Read More: from the 2025 Vancouver International Conference