April Ends with a Small Unit Sales Gain

Unit sales of print books rose 1% in the week ended Apr. 29, 2018, over the comparable week in 2017, at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. The adult nonfiction category had the top-selling book of the week with Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines, which sold more than 169,000 copies in its first week. Another book that had a good week was I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara, which jumped from the 34th spot to third place on the adult nonfiction list, selling nearly 24,000 copies. Unit sales in juvenile nonfiction rose 5% over the week ended Apr. 30, 2017, despite only minor shifts among the top-selling titles. Seuss-isms! by Dr. Seuss sold more than 4,000 copies, moving the title to third place on the category bestseller list, up from seventh in the prior week. First 100 Words by Roger Priddy returned to the #1 spot, selling more than 7,000 copies. The juvenile fiction category had a 2% unit rise over 2017, despite a second blockbuster sales week from A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss. The book sold more than 116,000 copies, easily outdistancing second place, held by Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr. Seuss, which sold almost 21,000 copies. The strong showing by A Day in the Life was enough to offset combined sales of 45,000 copies last year of two editions of Thirteen Reasons Why. Print unit sales in adult fiction fell 4% compared to 2017. Eight of the top 10 bestsellers in the category were new releases. Twisted Prey by John Sandford was #2 on the category list, selling about 28,000 hardcover copies. New paperbacks also landed high on the list, led by Lee Child’s The Midnight Line.

Unit Sales of Print Books by Channel (in thousands)

Unit Sales of Print Books by Category (in thousands)

Unit Sales of Print Books by Format (in thousands)