25 Trends in Publishing: Unicorns and Narwhals

About the column: A handful of agents and interns who work with Cyle have learned the latest and (sometimes so, sometimes not so) greatest trends in publishing right now. Tune in each week to find out what’s trending, ranging from ABA to CBA, children’s to adult. The authors of these columns have included social media tags at the end to keep up with trends they are finding. They can also be found here. 

Trend #15 of 25: Unicorns and Narwhals

Contributor: Hope Bolinger

Yes, it’s a weird one.

No, we have no idea how long this trend will stick around.

And no, this doesn’t just apply to children’s picture books. This trend weaves it way through middle grade, young adult, and even in adult fantasy.

Take a stroll around Target and everything screams unicorn (or some other mythical creature). Just a perusal through the children’s book aisle led me to several separate unicorn-based titles: Uni the Unicorn, Unicorn Quest (A middle grade), Hello, My Name is Octicorn, and many more.

Narwhals, the unicorns of the sea, have also gained popularity in picture books and plushies in just about every store and story. The trend continues for mermaids, fairies, and just about anything with the slightest hint of magic.

Why does this trend exist in the first place?

I could give you any number of guesses, but like the metaphysics of anything mythical or magical, one cannot truly explain it.

• The need for uniqueness. 

Everyone wants to find their own niche, and this spills over into the trend of equine creatures with horns protruding out of their heads.

• The need for something magical.

Nevermoor, Harry Potter, among others have proven fantastical elements tend to draw readers in. Perhaps people want a break from the mundane, non-unicorn world.

• The desire to the existence of unicorns (and dragons and mermaids and . . . )

People have attempted to unearth versions of mythical creatures we see in fairytales and as national animals in the case of Scotland and Wales.

Some of these “discoveries” have excavated versions of unicorns, dragons, and others. Although many of these fossils are suspect or stretches in terms of the imagination, people
desire their existence. Whether or not they truly roamed the earth, they want to see them in action whether via books or excavations of bones.

Hope Bolinger works as a literary agent at C.Y.L.E. IlluminateYA contracted her YA novel Den while she still attended college (to be released June 3, 2019).

More than 200 of her works have been featured in various publications. She has received various writing awards from being a finalist in the Jerry B. Jenkins short story contest to her one-act earning second place in the Searchlight Playwriting Contest. She has served in various publishing capacities from working at newspapers, magazines, and publishing houses.

She can be found at hopebolinger.com.