MAIN NEWS HEADLINES
January 18 – January 25, 2007 Edition
November
Year-to-Date
Book Sales Flat
NEW YORK, NY/1/17/07—U.S. books sales maintained an upward climb for November 2006, compared to November 2005 for most of the categories tracked by the Association of American Publishers (AAP). Net domestic sales were up by 3.2 percent for the month, and year-to-date sales showed a 0.0 percent change.
The Adult Hardcover category was up by 16.8 percent in November compared to last month’s figures with sales of $206.7 million; sales were also up by 3.0 percent year-to-year. Adult Paperback sales were down 9.7 percent for the month ($99.4 million), with an increase of 11.6 percent for the year. The Adult Mass Market category was also down by 6.3 percent for November with sales totaling $73.2 million; however, sales were up 6.1 percent year-to-year. The Children’s/YA Hardcover category posted an increase of 8.1 percent for the month with sales of $53.8 million; however sales were down by 30.1 percent year-to-date. The Children’s/YA Paperback category saw a decline of 8.3 percent for the month with sales totaling $37.7 million; sales were up slightly by 0.3 percent for the year.
Audio Book sales were up by 24.7 percent for November compared to last month’s figures with sales totaling $19.6 million; sales for the year were down by 11.7 percent. E-books declined 9.2 percent for the month ($1.9 million); however, the category posted an increase of 22.4 percent for the year. Religious Books were down 2.2 percent for November ($47.9 million) and 9.5 percent for the year.
Sales of University Press Hardcover books stayed constant with a 0.0 percent gain/loss in November with sales of $6.6 million; sales were up by 3.8 percent for the year. University Press Paperback sales were down by 14.1 percent for the month with sales totaling $5.1 million; sales were up 4.6 percent for the year. Sales in the Professional and Scholarly category posted an increase of 2.4 percent in November ($50.8 million); sales were also up 1.5 percent for the year.
Higher Education publishing sales were up slightly by 3.3 percent for November ($190.1million) and sales were also up by 3.1 percent for the year. Finally, the net El-Hi (elementary/high school) basal and supplemental K-12 category posted a decrease of 15.7 percent in November with sales of $103.4 million; this category also posted a decrease of 5.9 percent for the year.
The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the US book publishing industry. AAP’s more than 300 members include most of the major commercial publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies—small and large. AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational materials for the elementary, secondary, post-secondary, and professional markets, scholarly journals, computer software, and electronic products and services. The protection of intellectual property rights in all media, the defense of the freedom to read and the freedom to publish at home and abroad, and the promotion of reading and literacy are among the Association’s highest priorities.
