Self Publishing Weekly News, October 29, 2025
The Millionaire Librarian
The global publishing industry is undergoing rapid transformation in 2025, driven by technological innovation, shifting readership trends, and the evolving dynamics of international rights trading. From new certifications distinguishing human-authored works from AI-generated content to record-breaking rights deals and major reorganizations within leading publishing houses, the sector reflects both creative resilience and structural change. The following five news items highlight some of the most significant developments shaping the literary and commercial landscape of publishing today.
1. Major deal week in North American publishing
In the week of October 27, 2025, several high-profile book-deal announcements were reported. Among them, author Imani Perry signed a two-book deal with Random House (North American rights) including a historical-literary work on mentorship at Howard University, and Isle McElroy’s third novel The Channel was acquired by Viking Press (open-market North American rights) for a 2027 release. These deals highlight ongoing strong activity in rights marketplace despite macro concerns in publishing. PublishersWeekly.com
2. Global leadership shift among major publishers
A recent ranking revealed that Thomson Reuters has overtaken RELX Group as the world’s largest book publisher (by revenue) after RELX’s slight decline in 2024. RELX, previously holding the top spot for seven years, saw revenue slip around 1% in 2024 to ≈ US$6.2 billion, while Thomson Reuters’ ascendancy reflects shifts in professional/academic publishing and global rights dynamics. PublishersWeekly.com
3. The upcoming Frankfurt Book Fair 2025 emphasises deal-making and global exchange
The 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair, scheduled for October 15-19, is positioning itself not only as the rights-hub for book publishing, but as a site for international dialogue in “times of global tension”. Organisers report that the Literary Agents & Scouts (LitAg) centre sold out early, indicating surging demand for rights-matchmaking, and that programming will include topics such as AI, digital licensing and language diversification. PublishersWeekly.com
4. International-children’s-book fair in Shanghai growing rapidly
The 12th iteration of the China Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (scheduled November 14-16) has announced it expects more than 500 exhibitors from at least 35 countries—up from 497 the previous year—strengthening its role as a bridge between Eastern and Western children’s-publishing markets, with major attention on translation rights and cross-media/licensing opportunities. Publishing Perspectives
5. Certification launched to distinguish human-written from AI-generated books
A UK-based startup named Books By People has introduced a certification mark called “Organic Literature,” aimed at labelling books written by humans (with only limited AI-assistance) in response to growing concerns over AI-generated content in publishing. Independent publishers such as Galley Beggar Press, Bluemoose Books and Snowbooks have joined as founding partners; the first certified title is Telenovela by Gonzalo C. Garcia, scheduled November 2025.
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