In Ep. 187, Kathleen Schmidt, author of the popular Substack newsletter, Publishing Confidential, joins Sarah to dissect and discuss the State of the Publishing Industry in 2024. Between a high-level look back, talk about the top sales and book trends, to what Kathleen sees on the horizon for 2025 in the book world, this episode is packed with info. Also, Kathleen shares her favorite books of 2024!
This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).
Highlights
- 2024 bookish news and publishing trends overview.
- Kathleen grades last year’s crop of books with an overall B+.
- How the middle-aged woman / menopause stories might shake out to be the next buzzy books.
- The ways the full book market is oversaturated.
- The impact TikTok still has on the book world.
- Kathleen breaks down the side-eye publishing attracts from other industries with its oddball business model.
- Taylor Swift remains a hot topic in publishing with The Eras Tour Book.
- Did Spotify’s entrance into audiobooks make a noticeable impact?
- The secret struggle of memoirs.
- Anticipating 2025’s potential bookish trends.
State of the Publishing Industry in 2024
High-Level Overview [2:02]
- All Fours by Miranda July (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [6:12]
- Sandwich by Catherine Newman (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [6:27]
- The New Menopause by Mary Claire Haver (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [6:58]
2024 Book Sales and Trends [9:35]
- Leaving by Roxana Robinson (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:11]
- Splinters by Leslie Jamison (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:14]
- Liars by Sarah Manguso (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:16]
- Crush by Ada Calhoun (Feb 25, 2025) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [30:17]
- Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Amazon | Bookshop.org
[31:39]
- Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor (Jan 14, 2025) | Amazon
| Bookshop.org [31:41]
Big Book Stories of 2024 [34:18]
- The Official Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour Book (Target Exclusive) (2024) [38:21]
2025 Publishing Predictions [42:48]
Kathleen’s 3 Favorites Books of 2024 [46:41]
- Margo’s Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe (2024) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:01]
- Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan (2021) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:23]
- Foster by Claire Keegan (2010) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [47:54]
Other Links
- Publishing Confidential • Substack | What Book Publishing Needs to Consider in 2025
About Kathleen Schmidt
Instagram | Threads | Substack
As the Founder and CEO of Kathleen Schmidt Public Relations, Kathleen is a well-respected voice in book publishing with in-depth experience in all aspects of the industry, including as a publicist, literary agent, acquisitions editor, and ghostwriter.
Her career encompasses 30 years of creating and directing impactful and strategic global media, marketing, and branding campaigns for politicians, A-List celebrities, athletes, and high-profile personalities.
To date, she has worked on 50 New York Times bestsellers, and her clients have continuously appeared in top-tier national print, broadcast, and radio outlets such as The Today Show, Good Morning America, Vogue, Elle, Financial Times, Vanity Fair, GQ, and Sirius XM.
Schmidt, who learned to read when she was four, comes from a family of voracious readers. Inspired by the legendary book editor Jackie Kennedy Onassis, she purposely focused on obtaining a position in book publishing.
Her fast-growing Substack newsletter, Publishing Confidential, shares her wealth of inside knowledge that she hopes will help demystify the book industry. Married with two children, she resides in New Jersey.
Next Episode
In two weeks on February 19, Chrissie (@ChrissieWhitley) joins me for the first in our new “Best of…” genre series with her book recommendations for the Best of Fantasy.
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