A light trend post (March 2025)
not to be taken too seriously
By request! A light little post on trends I’m seeing.
Writers currently writing: do not abandon your WIP to write into these trends! It’ll be over by the time you pivot. There’s also certainly more that I’m missing; this is all subjective & based on recent conversations. And I came fifth in the Oscar’s pool last night, so.
It’s also worth noting that the thing all agents and editors say they’re looking for above all is “something that will surprise them.” The trend that never goes away is a great idea expertly executed…
I put in my ‘currently reading’ after I write these posts and realized both fit into different ‘in’ trends here:
Trends I’m hearing editors are looking for:
Heists
Horror; queer horror; femgore; horror-lite (for the squeamish/scare-adverse who still decorate for Halloween.)
Throuples/polyamory novels not involving rich white people
Certain historical retellings following the success of James by Percival Everett
Novellas disguised as short novels (Jessica Anthony’s The Most, for example, was great.)
Friendship novels
Work & money novels
More requests for Mind, Body, Spirit and Wellness from nonfiction editors who do practical nonfiction (and even some who I didn’t think did this kind of NF at all, last year)
In between: Editors wondering whether the hockey romances will pivot fully to a new sport (soccer) or whether hockey will continue to dominate and only a few one-off sports romances will succeed outside the main
On the wane (or editors tell me they’re seeing too many of)
Time travel
The plot is Divorce (don’t come for me)
“I told you so” climate novels
Linked story collections disguised as novels (readers see what you’re doing and readers want Narrative)
My dream trend
That authors will see the possibilities opened by Romantasy and want Science Fiction Romance (which does not have a cutesy name as far as I know, yet). An editor noted that there is a growing interest in speculative rom-coms but I’m thinking more ‘sex in space’ than ‘rom-com with a speculative twist.’
More Sporror (horror involving fungi/spores, which sounded much better in the accent of the British editor who described it to me) (cc’
)
Do you think Severance is sci fi romance? I would have categorized it as a workplace TV show until I heard my husband call it sci fi and the I thought, of course… (I just don’t read/watch much sci fi!)
What is a "I told you so" climate novel? (Love these lists, from the outside there's such an element of 'fun gossip' to them!)