% Change % Change
(Measured in $ sales against same time periods, 2001)
Sales in both the adult and children's segments declined in August, and sales fell in seven of the 11 categories tracked by the AAP. According to the association's monthly sales estimates, adult hardcover sales were down 8% in the month, while trade paperback sales were off 2.5%. Children's hardcover sales dropped 2.5% and children's paperback sales were down 8%. The mass market paperback segment had the strongest month, with sales up 21.4%. Despite the soft August, the AAP figures show sales in the major trade segments are still up by double-digit amounts through the first eight months of the year. In the education market, college sales were up 5.8% in August, while elhi sales fell 3.1%. Sales in the professional publishing segment increased 7.8%.
Category August YTD
Adult Hardcover -8.0 21.1
Adult Paperback -2.5 14.6
Juvenile Hardcover -2.5 17.6
Juvenile Paperback -8.0 10.6
Audio Books 2.0 24.4
Univ. Pr. Hardcover -26.8 -16.3
Univ. Pr. Paperback -9.8 3.6
Mass Market Paperback 21.4 14.7
Professional 7.8 6.3
College Texts 5.8 11.4
School Texts -3.1 -9.9