For Immediate Release
Contact: Tina Jordan
Ph: 202-255-0200 x263
Mid-Summer Book Sales Heat Up
Monthly and Yearly Sales Increase in July
September 6, 2007, New York, NY: Book sales tracked by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) for the month of July saw an increase of 20.0 percent for the month; yearly sales were up as well with an increase of 11.5 percent.
The Adult Hardcover category was up by 28.6 percent in July with sales of $73.4 million; year-to-date sales were also up by 21.0 percent. Adult Paperback sales were down by 6.5 percent for the month ($102.4 million); sales were also down by 2.2 percent for the year. The Adult Mass Market category declined by 24.7 percent for July with sales totaling $62.9 million; sales also declined by 5.8 percent year-to-date. The Children’s/YA Hardcover category saw an increase of 504.2 percent for the month with sales of $255.1 million; sales year-to-date were also up by 91.9 percent. The Children’s/YA Paperback category decreased by 25.7 percent in July with sales totaling $36.9 million; however sales were up by 2.8 percent for the year.
Audio Book sales posted an increase of 240.8 percent for July compared to last year’s figures with sales totaling $32.1 million; sales for the whole year were up by 48.4 percent. E-books sales rose by 31.8 percent for the month ($2.8 million); the category also posted an increase of 22.8 percent for the year. Religious Books posted a decline of 2.6 percent for the month with sales of $33.5 million; however sales were up by 6.1 percent for the year.
Sales of University Press Hardcover books were up by 19.7 percent in July with sales of $6.9 million; sales were also up by 4.2 percent for the year. University Press Paperback sales increased by 10.8 percent for the month with sales totaling $9.5 million; sales were up 4.0 percent for the year. Sales in the Professional and Scholarly category posted an increase of 13.8 percent in July ($107.6 million); sales were up 7.9 percent for the year.
Higher Education publishing sales rose by 5.5 percent for the month ($923.2 million); sales were up by 7.2 percent for the year. Finally, the net El-Hi (elementary/high school) basal and supplemental K-12 category posted an increase of 2.1 percent in July with sales of $921.0 million; this category also posted an increase of 1.1 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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