For Immediate Release

May 15 , 2006

Contact: Tina Jordan
Ph: (212) 255-0200 x263
Email: tjordan@publishers.org

Publishing Sales Maintain Upward Climb in March

May 15, 2006, New York, NY:  Book sales remained steady in March for most of the categories tracked by the Association of American Publishers (AAP).  Children’s /YA Hardcover rose while Adult Hardcover dipped.  Net sales were up by 4.8 percent for the month, and up by 7.5 percent for the year.

Sales for the Adult Hardcover category declined by 9.6 percent for March with sales of $81.9 million; sales were down by 10.3 percent year to-date.  Adult Paperback sales continued to grow with an increase of 18.7 percent (sales totaled $109.9 million) and increased by 20.8 percent year to-date.  The Adult Mass-Market category leveled at a 0.0 percent for March with sales totaling $69.0 million, as well as a 15.1 percent increase for the year.

The Children’s/YA Hardcover category saw a gain of 23.3 percent in March with sales totaling $41.5 million; sales were down by 7.3 percent year-to-date as well.  The Children’s/YA Paperback publishing sales dipped for the month with a decline of 5.0 percent (sales totaling $33.5 million) and a 13.5 percent increase for the year.

Sales of University Press Hardcover books saw a 10.8 percent loss in March with sales of $8.3 million; this category is down 25.7 percent for the year.  University Press Paperback sales rose 21.9 percent with sales totaling $18.3 million; sales were up 133.0 percent for the year.  Sales in the Professional and Scholarly category saw a gain of 30.2 percent for the month, with sales of $53.9 million as well as a 16.7 percent increase for the year.

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’s approximately 300 members include most of the major commercial book publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies. The Association represents an industry whose very existence depends upon the free exercise of rights guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Higher Education publishing sales saw a 27.7 percent decline in March with sales totaling $-53.2 million; this negative number is due to returns.  Sales were up by 7.4 percent for the year.  Finally, the net El-Hi (elementary/high school) basal and supplemental K-12 category rose by 1.8 percent in March, with sales of $155.8 million.  This category declined by 4.7 percent for the year. 

The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry.  AAP’s more than 300 members include most of the major commercial book publishers in the United States, as well as smaller and non-profit publishers, university presses and scholarly societies.  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 intellectual freedom and the promotion of reading and literacy are among the Association’s primary concerns.

NOTE: All sales figures cited in this release are domestic net sales

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