For Immediate Release
May 17, 2007
Contact: Tina Jordan
Ph: (212) 255-0200 x263
Email: tjordan@publishers.org
BOOK SALES REMAIN STEADY IN MARCH
May 17, 2007, New York, NY: Publishing sales tracked by the Association of American Publishers saw an increase for the month of March with net sales up by 1.7 percent for the month and 7.8 percent for the year.
The Adult Hardcover category was up by 27.5 percent in March with sales of $135.9 million; sales were also up by 35.5 percent year-to-date. Adult Paperback sales also saw a gain of 3.2 percent for the month ($130.1 million); however, sales were down 1.6 percent for the year. The Adult Mass Market category declined by 5.8 percent for March with sales totaling $76.4 million; sales declined by 6.7 percent year-to-date. The Children’s/YA Hardcover category was down slightly by 2.2 percent for the month with sales of $47.6 million; sales year-to-date were up by 17.3 percent. The Children’s/YA Paperback category increased 13.7 percent in March with sales totaling $47.1 million; sales were up by 2.7 percent for the year.
Audio Book sales posted an increase of 33.6 percent for March compared to last year’s figures with sales totaling $19.1 million; sales for the whole year were up by 19.0 percent. E-books sales rose by 12.0 percent for the month ($3.2 million); the category also posted an increase of 10.6 percent for the year. (E-book figures were compiled in cooperation with the International Digital Publishing Forum.) Religious Books posted a decline of 19.8 percent for the month with sales of $62.6 million; however sales were up by 3.4 percent for the year.
Sales of University Press Hardcover books were up 4.8 percent in March with sales of $5.9 million; sales were up by 4.8 percent for the year. University Press Paperback sales decreased by 3.3 percent for the month with sales totaling $4.2 million; sales were up 3.5 percent for the year. Sales in the Professional and Scholarly category posted a decrease of 3.5 percent in March ($49.0 million); sales were also down 1.4 percent for the year.
Higher Education publishing sales were down by 23.4 percent for the month ($-67.5 million, the negative amount reflects returns) however sales were up by 13.1 percent for the year. Finally, the net El-Hi (elementary/high school) basal and supplemental K-12 category posted a decrease of 7.4 percent in March with sales of $145.4 million; this category also posted a decrease of 9.8 percent for the year.
The Association of American Publishers is the national trade association of the U.S. book publishing industry. AAP’smore than300 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, 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 Association’s highest priorities.
NOTE: All sales figures cited in this release are domestic net sales
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