E-book sales rose 81.2% in October, to $72.8 million, at the 20 publishers who supply e-book figures to the Association of American Publishers monthly sales report. The 81% increase was the first time this year that e-book sales did not double over the same month in 2010. For the first 10 months of the year, e-book sales were up 131.1%, to $807.7 million.
Religious sales were up in the month at reporting houses, increasing 12.4%, but sales in the other print trade segments were down. Once again, the mass market paperback segment took a major hit, with sales falling 37.6% at reporting houses and sales in the segment were off 33.7% for the year to date. The trade paperback segment has a weak month, with sales down 16.9% and adult hardcover sales fell 7.8%. Children’s hardcover performed marginally better, with sales down 7.3% in October, while children’s paperback segment sales fell 2.4%.
Downloadable audio sales increased 15.6% at reporting companies, while sales of physical audiobooks rose 0.1%.
