Which genre of novels is most profitable to publish and why?
Last Updated: 21.06.2025 00:49
It all depends on what you want to write and what you can write well. If you’re casting around for potentially profitable and popular genres, you’ll need to keep an eye on publishing industry trends. Right now, romance, thriller, and upmarket (book club fiction, generally women’s fiction) are very popular. Romantasy (romantic fantasy) has also had a recent heyday but might be leveling out. But can you execute a compelling book in this style? Or are you just trying to raise your potential success rate with a submission? Just because you’ve written a thriller doesn’t mean you’ve executed one at the high level necessary to get attention in the slush pile.
Of course, if you’re self-publishing, you do need to pay attention to categories and keywords, and you can get very granular with tropes and conventions. I recommend K-Lytics and Kindlepreneur as great resources for learning more about various available niches.
The work itself—including your personal passion for it—is the first and foremost consideration. A popular genre or target audience might help, but this generally tends to work if you’re actually dedicated to that style of writing. The most powerful way to break through isn’t to chase trends, it’s to learn the writing craft and challenge yourself at the premise level. The core idea behind a book is the “secret sauce,” not its broad-strokes category or style.