How Publishing Trends Have Evolved Over the Years

How Publishing Trends Have Evolved Over the Years

Publishing, like every other industry, goes through ebbs and flows, trends and staples. Of course, as technology has made its way into our lives over the past couple of decades, many things have changed in the publishing realm. Explore the changes in publishing trends since the days Don Draper of Mad Men, the tv series, was pounding the pavement with his advertising techniques.

Publishing in the 1950s

With turbulent times on the horizon in real life, much of the publishing that was done in the 1950s centered around authors who questioned conformity and the status quo. Many famous books came out of this time, mired in the truths history had recently taught their authors. Even non-fiction books of the era were wrought with painful depictions of what life was really like in the post-WW II era.

Publishing in the 1960s

Large publishing houses and literary agents started to take hold in the ’60s. This was the decade that big words became big money, ushering in an entire industry of wordsmiths who wrote, read, or paid for books that would soon stock the shelves of bookstores and libraries across the world. Because of big money associated with publishing during this era, some writers felt they lost their senses of self, often succumbing to what would sell, as manuscript acceptance decisions transitioned from publishing house owners to editors they employed.

Publishing in the 1970s

While there was a pronounced pessimism in the air as the Vietnam War came to an end, the “big book boom” hit the publishing industry with tons of optimism. Publishers began to shell out previously unheard of sums of money in advances to secure their favorite authors, even when the titles weren’t yet developed.  While this was good for the leading authors, publishers’ bank accounts suffered because they were sending funds without any income. Publishers often took big risks to retain their desired writers, and that didn’t always pan out so well.

Publishing in the 1980s & 1990s

The 1980s & 1990s saw books that had been written decades earlier flourishing and suddenly becoming breakout hits, and new books that acted upon the sentiments of times gone by found success by leveraging the emotional feelings of the olden days.

Publishing in the 2000s

Once the internet became a common household item, authors were able to seek new ways to publish their writings like never before. They could self-publish on Amazon, on their own blogs, or various other venues found across the internet. The subject matter no longer had a main theme because people could write whatever they wanted to write about.

Publishing Today

It takes a mix of creative consciousness and business savvy to publish for today’s readers. Whether you choose to self-publish, or to work with a publishing house, it’s important to stay true to your voice and deliver the words you want to say to an audience that’s ripe to listen.

Publishing in today’s era is a completely different animal than it was 20 or 30 years ago. Thanks to new at-your-fingertips technology, many authors are able to self-publish, but that doesn’t mean it’s always the right path to choose. If you write, look toward the experienced assistance of Full Cycle Publications to ensure your book gets the time and attention it deserves from your readers.

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