| Category | Change Sept. | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Hard | 4.8% | -3.2% |
| Adult Paper | 31.6% | 16.0% |
| Mass Market | 21.9% | -12.5% |
| Physical Audio | -0.2% | 1.3% |
| Audio Download | 39.1% | 41.5% |
| Adult E-book | -7.7% | -4.8% |
| Children’s/YA | -0.6% | -7.4% |
| Religious Presses | 3.3% | -1.5% |
| Professional | -7.1% | 13.0% |
| K–12 Materials | -7.8% | -5.0% |
| Higher Ed. | -6.0% | -4.4% |
| University Presses | 1.9% | -1.8% |
(Comparisons of $ sales against same periods in 2014)
Sales of adult trade books rose 2.9% in the first nine months of 2015, compared to the first nine month of 2014, according to figures released by the Association of American Publishers through its StatShot program. The small gain was led by sales of digital audio, which jumped 41.5% in the nine-month period, and trade paperback sales, which rose 16.0%. Adult hardcover sales were off 3.2%, mass market paperback fell 12.5%, and e-book revenue declined 4.8% in the nine-month period. Sales in the children’s/young adult segment were down 7.4% through September. The drop was caused by a 44.8% decline in e-book sales and a 14.5% drop in hardcover sales. Sales of paperbacks were up 8.9%, and board book sales rose 13.6%. Total sales for all 1,205 publishers who reported figures to the AAP were down 0.7% in September, and sales in the year to date were off 2.0%.
