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Oct. 22 – 29, 2009 Edition Book Publishing Sales Post Small Gains in August
New York, NY, (Authorlink News, October 21, 2009) Book sales tracked by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) for the month of August increased by 0.9 percent at $1.55 billion and were up by 2.0 percent for the year.
The Adult Hardcover category was up by 12.3 percent in August with sales of $110.6 million; year-to-date sales were down by 12.2 percent. Adult Paperback sales increased 3.2 percent for the month ($152.7 million) but decreased by 9.0 percent for the year. The Adult Mass Market category was up 1.3 percent for August with sales totaling $70.4 million; sales were down by 4.5 percent year-to-date. The Childrens/YA Hardcover category decreased by 12.9 percent for the month with sales of $84.5 million, but sales for year-to-date were up by 14.0 percent. The Childrens/YA Paperback category was down by 0.2 percent in August with sales totaling $69.4 million; sales increased by 1.7 percent for the year.
Audio Book sales posted a decrease of 12.5 percent in August with sales totaling $12.9 million; sales to-date decreased by 25.1 percent. E-books sales reached $14.4 million, reflecting a 189.1 percent increase for August and a 177.3 percent increase year to-date. Religious Books saw a decrease of 13.8 percent for the month with sales totaling $58.0 million; sales were down by 9.2 percent for the year.
Sales of University Press Hardcover books reflected a 2.7 percent decrease in August with sales of $5.8 million; sales decreased by 7.8 percent for the year. University Press Paperback sales posted an increase of 2.7 percent for the month with sales totaling $9.6 million; sales were down 4.0 percent for the year. Sales in the Professional and Scholarly category were down by 12.4 percent in August ($89.2 million) and decreased by 4.5 percent for the year.
Higher Education publishing sales rose by 2.9 percent for the month ($868.1 million) and increased 13.8 percent for the year. Finally, the net El-Hi (elementary/high school) basal and supplemental K-12 category posted a decrease of 0.7 percent in August with sales of $714.4 million; the category was down by 21.4 percent for the year.
The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAPs 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 societiessmall and large. AAP members publish hardcover and paperback books in every field, educational materials for the elementary, secondary, postsecondary, 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 Associations highest priorities.
NOTE: All sales figures cited in this release are domestic net sales
