With the notable exceptions of audio downloads and children’s/YA, sales were down through May compared to the first five months of 2013, based on figures supplied to the AAP by 1,209 publishers for its StatShot program. The 30.5% increase in sales in the five-month period in the children’s/YA category was driven by double-digit gains in all formats, led by a 53.3% increase in e-book sales. Despite the jump in e-book revenue, the format still accounted for only 15.8% of children’s/YA sales in the 2014 period, compared to 13.5% through May 2013. In the adult trade category, sales were down in all print formats and slipped 0.2% for e-books. With its small decline, e-book was the top-selling format in the adult segment in the January–May period and accounted for 30.8% of sales, up from 29.8% of sales at the same point last year.
| Category | Change May | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| Adult Hard | -19.2% | -9.5% |
| Adult Paper | -2.9% | -1.9% |
| Mass Market | -10.1% | -8.4% |
| Physical Audio | -35.5% | -22.8% |
| Audio Download | 11.9% | 24.2% |
| Adult E-book | -6.3% | -0.2% |
| Children’s/YA | 34.1% | 30.5% |
| Religious Presses | -13.1% | -0.1% |
| Professional | 4.3% | -2.2% |
| K–12 Materials | 5.9% | -1.6% |
| Higher Ed. | -20.3% | 3.4% |
| University Presses | -13.9% | -1.2% |
(Comparisons of $ sales against same periods in 2013)
