For Immediate Release

June 8, 2007

Contact: Tina Jordan

Ph: 212-255-0200 x263

Publishing Sales Take Small Dip for the Spring, Yearly Sales Rise

June 8, 2007, New York, NY: April books sales tracked by the Association of American Publishers saw a slight decrease with net sales down by 0.3 percent for the month, however, yearly sales saw a gain of 6.3 percent compared to last year.

The Adult Hardcover category was down by 11.8 percent in April with sales of $113.0 million; however sales were up by 19.4 percent year-to-date.  Adult Paperback sales also declined by 3.2 percent for the month ($114.9 million); sales were down 2.0 percent for the year.  The Adult Mass Market category declined by 15.2 percent for April with sales totaling $52.2 million; sales declined by 9.3 percent year-to-date.  The Children’s/YA Hardcover category saw an increase of 23.9 percent for the month with sales of $47.9 million; sales year-to-date were also up by 20.0 percent.   The Children’s/YA Paperback category also increased 25.5 percent in April with sales totaling $41.4 million; sales were up by 8.1 percent for the year.

Audio Book sales posted an increase of 8.1 percent for April compared to last year’s figures with sales totaling $12.3 million; sales for the whole year were up by 14.2 percent.  E-books sales rose by 13.8 percent for the month ($2.5 million); the category also posted an increase of 14.2 percent for the year. (E-book figures were compiled in cooperation with the International Digital Publishing Forum).  Religious Books posted a small dip of 0.3 percent for the month with sales of $44.2 million; however sales were up by 4.8 percent for the year.

Sales of University Press Hardcover books were down 5.4 percent in April with sales of $5.0 million; however, sales were up by 2.4 percent for the year.  University Press Paperback sales increased by 3.8 percent for the month with sales totaling $2.7 million; sales were up 3.7 percent for the year.  Sales in the Professional and Scholarly category posted an increase of 22.2 percent in April ($43.6 million); sales were up 4.8 percent for the year.

Higher Education publishing sales were up by 7.9 percent for the month ($14.1 million); sales were up by 12.7 percent for the year.  Finally, the net El-Hi (elementary/high school) basal and supplemental K-12 category posted a decrease of 13.1 percent in April with sales of $187.1 million; this category also posted a decrease of 11.1 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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