Fiction Books Market Report 2026

The fiction books market size has grown steadily in recent years. It will grow from $11.07 billion in 2025 to $11.3 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.1%. The growth in the historic period can be attributed to growth of traditional bookstores, rise of literacy rates globally, increasing popularity of genre fiction, expansion of publishing houses, emergence of print-on-demand technology.

The fiction books market size is expected to see steady growth in the next few years. It will grow to $12.4 billion in 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.4%. The growth in the forecast period can be attributed to growth of e-books and audiobooks, integration of AI in content creation, expansion of digital platforms for storytelling, rising demand for personalized reading experiences, increasing adaptation of fiction into multimedia formats. Major trends in the forecast period include personalized storytelling, subscription-based reading models, interactive and gamified reading experiences, independent and self-publishing growth, cross-media adaptations.

The increasing sales of books through online channels are anticipated to drive the growth of the fiction books market in the coming years. Online book sales involve purchasing books through digital platforms, including e-commerce websites, online retailers, and digital download services, enabling consumers to access both physical and digital formats remotely. The growth in online book sales is attributed to the convenience of purchasing at any time, a wider selection, and the rising internet penetration among readers. Fiction books benefit from online sales by reaching a larger audience, enabling cost-effective distribution, and offering digital formats that align with changing reading preferences. For example, in August 2024, the Association of American Publishers (AAP), a US-based trade organization, reported that digital formats represented 16 % of total publishing revenue in 2023, marking a 6.3 % increase from 2022, with online retail remaining the dominant sales channel. Consequently, the rise in online book sales is fostering the growth of the fiction books market.

Major companies in the fiction book market are focusing on the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. AI-narrated books provide a unique literary experience by combining human creativity with machine precision. A recent example is Apple Inc.'s launch of a catalog of AI-narrated books on its Books app in January 2023. These AI-driven narrations feature a digital entity designed after a human narrator, offering potential cost and complexity reductions in audiobook production for authors and publishers. This innovation has the capacity to bring significant changes to the audiobook industry, with AI-driven narrations available for a range of genres, including fiction and romance.

In June 2023, Lakeside Book Company, a US-based company specializing in printing, binding, and distribution, acquired Marquis Book Printing for an undisclosed amount. This acquisition is expected to have a significant impact on the fiction book market by boosting production capabilities, expanding distribution networks, and creating an environment that supports both established and emerging authors. Marquis Book Printing is a Canada-based manufacturer of fiction, non-fiction, and picture books.

Major companies operating in the fiction books market are Penguin Random House LLC, Hachette Livre, HarperCollins Publishers LLC, Macmillan Publishers, Simon & Schuster Inc., Turner Publishing Company, Chronicle Books LLC, Coffee House Press Inc., Scholastic Corporation, Bloomsbury Publishing plc, Egmont Group, Candlewick Press Inc., Nosy Crow Ltd., Chicken House Ltd., Usborne Publishing Ltd., Walker Books Ltd., Abrams Books Inc., Sourcebooks Inc., Harlequin Enterprises Limited, Kensington Publishing Corp., Entangled Publishing LLC, Bold Strokes Books Inc., Bella Books Inc., Dreamspinner Press LLC, Carina Press, Riptide Publishing, Less Than Three Press LLC, Little Brown and Company, Tor Books, Orbit, Ace Books, DAW Books, Baen Books, Angry Robot, Night Shade Books, Pyr, Subterranean Press LLC.

Asia-Pacific was the largest region in the fiction books market in 2025. Middle East is expected to be the fastest-growing region in the fiction books market during the forecast period. The regions covered in the fiction books market report are Asia-Pacific, South East Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa. The countries covered in the fiction books market report are Australia, Brazil, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, South Korea, UK, USA, Canada, Italy, Spain.

The fiction books market consists of revenues earned by entities by carrying out design, editing, and marketing activities necessary for producing and distributing fiction books for adults. These establishments may publish books in print, electronic, or audio form. The market value includes the value of related goods sold by the service provider or included within the service offering. Values in this market are factory gate values, that is the value of goods sold by the manufacturers or creators of the goods, whether to other entities (including downstream manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and retailers) or directly to end customers. The value of goods in this market includes related services sold by the creators of the goods.

The market value is defined as the revenues that enterprises gain from the sale of goods and/or services within the specified market and geography through sales, grants, or donations in terms of the currency (in USD unless otherwise specified).

The revenues for a specified geography are consumption values that are revenues generated by organizations in the specified geography within the market, irrespective of where they are produced. It does not include revenues from resales along the supply chain, either further along the supply chain or as part of other products.

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