For Immediate Release

Contact: Tina Jordan

Ph: 212-255-0200 x263

Book Sales Increase at Year’s End

Sales down slightly for the month of December

February 13, 2008, New York, NY: Book sales tracked by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) for the month of December saw a slight decrease of 1.8 percent for the month; however yearly sales were up with an increase of 7.4 percent.

The Adult Hardcover category was down by 19.5 percent in December with sales of $128.1 million; year-to-date sales were up by 7.8 percent.  Adult Paperback sales rose 10.1 percent for the month ($116.1 million); sales were up by 0.2 percent for the year.  The Adult Mass Market category rose by 46.8 percent for December with sales totaling $81.2 million; sales were down by 2.0 percent year-to-date.  The Children’s/YA Hardcover category saw an increase of 16.7 percent for the month with sales of $52.6 million; sales year-to-date were also up by 46.4 percent.  The Children’s/YA Paperback category was up by 10.0 percent in December with sales totaling $39.6 million; sales were up by 6.5 percent for the year.

Audio Book sales posted a decrease of 13.1 percent for December compared to last year’s figures, with sales totaling $11.9 million; sales for the whole year were up by 19.8 percent.  E-books sales rose by 2.4 percent for the month ($3.0 million); the category also posted an increase of 23.6 percent for the year. Religious Books saw a decrease of 7.5 percent for the month with sales of $45.8 million; sales were up by 5.2 percent for the year.

Sales of University Press Hardcover books were up by 3.3 percent in December with sales of $6.8 million; sales were also up by 8.1 percent for the year.  University Press Paperback sales posted an increase of 0.6 percent for the month with sales totaling $10.1 million; sales were up 3.2 percent for the year.  Sales in the Professional and Scholarly category were down by 12.4 percent in December ($99.0 million); however sales were up 2.9 percent for the year.

Higher Education publishing sales declined by 2.8 percent for the month ($770.4 million); sales were up by 6.5 percent for the year.  Finally, the net El-Hi (elementary/high school) basal and supplemental K-12 category posted an increase of 5.9 percent in December with sales of $139.8 million; this category posted an increase of 2.7 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 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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