In 2015, what was the world of publishing and novels like? Well, unfortunately it seems like I was way too busy to take proper notice of the world around me 10 years ago, so I’ve had a little root through decade-old articles for more of an authentic view of the state of things during that time.
So, after I’ve inserted some worn-out cliche about time machines or rose-tinted glasses, we’ll take a closer look at how things were 10 years ago from the date of writing this article. Who knows, there may be another recap another 10 years down the line…
Books published in 2015
- A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
- Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School by Jeff Kinney
- Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
- Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
- November 9 by Colleen Hoover
- Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
- The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins
- The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan
- Uprooted by Naomi Novik
Bestselling books list for 2015
According to the Guardian, 2015 was the year of female writers taking the majority of the top spots, but that was where the similarities stopped. Number one on the list was Grey: Fifty Shades As Told By Christian, a retelling of the chart-topping Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, but that was just above Grandpa’s Great Escape by David Walliams – clearly, very different storylines!
Amazon’s list for 2015 features Millie Marotta’s Animal Kingdom colouring book on its top spot, quickly followed by the hugely popular The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins. Further down the line, you’ll find some cookbooks by Jamie Oliver, Ella Mills and Mary Berry for some more wholesome highlights from the year.
Reported by The New York Times, this was the year that a previously-lost Dr. Seuss book, What Pet Should I Get? was published posthumously. Additionally, they point to 2015 as the year that audiobooks started to find their footing among podcasts and other digital formats like e-books.
What was 2015 like for publishers?
Noisy Crow turned 4 years old in 2015, and had achieved a turnover of roughly £5 million by the following year – meaning that out of £100 spent on children’s books, their portion was about £1, which is an insane achievement!
Looking back, the industry also improved greatly on previous issues with achieving diversity, though it could be argued there is still a way to go. Many authors from BAME backgrounds or lower classes still struggle to break the mould and get their voices heard, though the increased accessibility of modern technology does go some way towards making the sector slightly more accessible.
Blast from the past!
Well, that was a delve into the popular books, formats and general atmosphere of the literary world in 2015. Things have changed quite a bit to how things remain in recent times, and again, the passage of time still continues, so who knows what things will look like in 10 years’ time from now?
Impish Fen 
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