Adult trade sales rose 6.8% in November 2016, while sales in the children’s/young adult segment jumped 16.2%, according to figures released by the AAP as part of its StatShot program. The November increase in the adult segment was led by a 47.2% gain in sales of digital audiobooks and a 26.1% rise in mass market paperback sales. E-book sales were down 9.9%. Total adult book sales declined 2.1% in the first 11 months of the year, compared to the same period in 2015. In the children’s/YA category, hardcover sales increased 27.4% in November, compared to the year before, and board book sales rose 12.1%. E-book sales were down 27.0% in the month. For the first 11 months of 2016, sales in the children’s/YA category were up 5.8% over the comparable period in 2015. Sales for the 1,207 publishers that report data to AAP rose 1.7% in November, but were down 5.7% in the January-November period, compared to the same span in 2015.
| Category | Change November | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Hard | 13.7% | -4.5% |
| Adult Paper | 2.5% | 6.7% |
| Mass Market | 26.1% | 2.7% |
| Physical Audio | -3.3% | -12.5% |
| Audio Download | 47.2% | 28.7% |
| Adult E-book | -9.9% | -14.6% |
| Children’s/YA | 16.2% | 5.8% |
| Religious Presses | 21.7% | 8.6% |
| Professional | -17.7% | -21.1% |
| K–12 Materials | -19.4% | -9.0% |
| Higher Ed. | -15.2% | -11.5% |
| University Presses | 11.4% | -2.5% |
(Comparisons of $ sales against same periods in 2015)
