When I go to a bookstore or scroll online discussions surrounding new releases, I have begun to notice a pattern. I see the marketing buzzwords used to promote an up and coming author (if you liked that book, you are sure to like this one: preorder now!) and the lukewarm takes that could be talking about any book in that particular genre. Classical literature is trending and beautiful collections of detailed covers for the unique editions line the shelves. At a premium price, of course. For a novel that has long since entered the public domain. All to be taken home to a concave bookshelf overflowing with books gathering dust since the owner never has quite enough time to spare to dive into that particular one.

Trends, collections, aesthetics: all pieces that are irrelevant to the act of reading yet commodify the activity in a way that can only happen in the 21st century. Yes, authors should get paid for their work, but who is still paying for the words on the pages? People are paying to buy into a trend, to hoard a collection, to curate an aesthetic that signifies their dedication. Reading for leisure is dying. It’s turned into a competitive sport where you need the newest and shiniest equipment to establish your worth in the game.

Reading for personal interests gives people an identity and a hobby, possibly even a community. However, it feels more and more like this enjoyment is being exploited for profit. The publishers enjoyed an increase in book sales for adult fiction in particular in 2025¹, likely due to the effect of social media and the widespread marketing that exists on these platforms. Not to mention the posters on these platforms that always have something new to sell their audience at an olympic pace. Interestingly enough, a few years ago when there was a rise in book sales, there was not a rise in participants². The number of readers is staying steady, yet the sales keep increasing. These findings would indicate that the increased profit that publishers are making is coming from the same group of readers and not necessarily a rise in the number of readers.

All of this may not matter much to a casual reader. Especially considering that the ones that choose to participate in the trends are doing it willingly. But this is part of my reasoning for being an indie writer. I don’t want to write for the market and for profits. I have no interest in spitting out a book that is chasing trends in order to reach record sales numbers. Writing is more personal than that, for me and for many other writers out there.

¹ Milliot, J. (2026, August 10). Publishing Sales Hit $33.4 Billion in 2025. publishersweekly.com. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/financial-reporting/article/101020-estimated-industry-sales-hit-32-5-billion-in-2025.html

² Bone, J. K., Bu, F., Sonke, J. K., & Fancourt, D. (2025, August). The decline in reading for pleasure over 20 years of the American Time Use Survey. iScience, 28(9), 113288. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2025.113288