For Immediate Release
Contact: Tina Jordan
Ph: 212-255-0200 x263
Book Sales Continue Upward Swing for November
January 24, 2008, New York, NY: Book sales tracked by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) for the month of November saw an increase of 8.0 percent for the month; yearly sales were up as well with an increase of 9.0 percent.
The Adult Hardcover category was down by 7.4 percent in November with sales of $194.3 million; year-to-date sales were up by 10.7 percent. Adult Paperback sales rose 8.3 percent for the month ($107.6 million); sales were down slightly by 0.7 percent for the year. The Adult Mass Market category rose by 14.8 percent for November with sales totaling $84.1 million; sales were down by 5.4 percent year-to-date. The Children’s/YA Hardcover category saw an increase of 11.4 percent for the month with sales of $60.9 million; sales year-to-date were also up by 48.8 percent. The Children’s/YA Paperback category was up by 24.8 percent in November with sales totaling $45.8 million; sales were up by 5.0 percent for the year.
Audio Book sales posted a decrease of 24.1 percent for November compared to last year’s figures with sales totaling $15.4 million; sales for the whole year were up by 22.7 percent. E-books sales rose by 36.4 percent for the month ($2.5 million); the category also posted an increase of 25.1 percent for the year. Religious Books saw an increase of 3.6 percent for the month with sales of $49.8 million; sales were up by 6.3 percent for the year.
Sales of University Press Hardcover books were up by 17.5 percent in November with sales of $6.7 million; sales were also up by 8.6 percent for the year. University Press Paperback sales posted an increase of 34.3 percent for the month with sales totaling $6.2 million; sales were up 4.1 percent for the year. Sales in the Professional and Scholarly category were up by 34.9 percent in November ($68.3 million); sales were also up 7.6 percent for the year.
Higher Education publishing sales rose by 14.7 percent for the month ($216.2 million); sales were also up by 9.4 percent for the year. Finally, the net El-Hi (elementary/high school) basal and supplemental K-12 category posted a decrease of 2.0 percent in November with sales of $103.2 million; this category posted an increase of 2.6 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 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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