2026 Publishing Trends

Bad On Paper

Becca Freeman

Arts, Society & Culture, Books

4.8 • 4.2K Ratings

🗓️ 8 April 2026

⏱️ 73 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, we chatted with literary agent Alyssa Morris and East City Bookshop Buyer Emilie Sommer about 2026 publishing trends! We pick their brains about customer shopping behavior, what editors are looking for, how they know something is going to hit, and their big bets for the year.

Alyssa's 2026 Picks

In Stormy Weather by Chelsea Curto

The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson

One & Only Maurene Goo

Games by Anna Maria Volkova

Emilie's 2026 Picks

Leave Your Mess at Home by Tolani Akinola

Five by Ilona Bannister

London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe

Under Story by Chloe Benjamin

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

American Fantasy by Emma Straub

April's Book Club Pick - Good People by Patmeena Sabit

What we read this week

Olivia - The Fountain by Casey Scieska, In Her Defense by Phillipa Malicka, Whale Fall by Elizabeth O'Connor, The Sirens by Emilia Hart

Becca - Once And Again by Rebecca Serle; American Fantasy by Emma Straub

Obsession

Becca - Garlic Slicer

Olivia - New notes app system

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi, everyone and welcome to Vat on Paper podcast. I'm Olivia Mentor. And I'm Becca Freeman.
0:23.8	And today we're talking about 26 publishing trends. Yeah, we have two experts that we're talking to,
0:31.3	one book agent and one bookseller. And I'm really curious to hear what they're seeing in the publishing industry. I mean,
0:40.8	I think we have our own theories as readers and as authors, but I'm really curious to get their
0:46.5	expert opinions. Me too. And they both have such great specific taste. So I'm looking
0:52.8	forward to it. Before we get to that, tell me your high.
0:56.0	It's been a while since we recorded. We recorded the last two episodes in advance. So there's
1:01.6	been a lot of time for highs and lows in between. A lot of time. And I will say it's been a good two
1:08.7	weeks. I went to Charleston. I had a nice book event. I saw my parents. The
1:13.1	weather was perfect. But I got back and the vibes have just been good. I feel really good. I got back
1:21.1	home with this renewed spring energy where I just started cleaning out my entire house donated. I can't even, thousands of pieces of clothing, it felt like.
1:32.1	Listed some stuff on Poshmark 2, but mostly just got rid of stuff. We're cleaning out rooms, getting ready for the kitchen.
1:39.2	We're planning stuff. I'm working all the time. I'm not spending a lot of time on my phone. I'm reading a ton.
1:46.1	I just feel like the vibes are good. And spring is around the corner, even though it is not great
1:51.9	here today, weather-wise, but I believe it's close. I did my first day in the garden, working,
1:57.9	getting the leaves out, and seeing all of the little sprouts underneath the leaves
2:01.6	was such a nice metaphor for spring is coming. So yeah, it's just the vibes are strong.
2:07.4	The vibes are good. Love. Love hearing that. Tell me about your high. Well, I had to narrow it down.
2:14.3	I had about four highs, but I'm picking two. So the first thing,
2:17.8	as a follow-up to a low I had a few weeks ago that I was kind of dilly-dallying on getting
2:24.4	started with book three, I'm happy to report that I've started. And I'm just taking it really
2:30.3	light and easy. I hopefully have set myself some very achievable goals and I'm just
	...

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