July 27, 2018
Books for Adults Up 12.2% in April 2018
Revenue for April 2018 and for the year-to-date is up for book publishers
Washington, DC; July 27, 2018 – Publishers’ revenue increased by $172.8 million (+5.5%) for the first four months of 2018 (Jan – April) compared to the same period in 2017. Publisher revenue in April 2018 was up by 4.4% over April 2017. These revenues from AAP’s StatShot Monthly Report, which tracks publisher revenue comparatively each month, represent all tracked categories (Trade – fiction/non-fiction/religious, PreK-12 Instructional Materials, Higher Education Course Materials, Professional Publishing, and University Presses).
Trade books had the greatest gains in April 2018. Compared to April 2017, revenue was up by 12.2% for Adult Books, 8.3% for Children’s/Young Adult, and 9.8% for Religious Presses. Overall, Trade was up 11.1% in April. Looking at the year-to-date (Jan – April), revenue for Trade was up 7.3% compared to the same time in 2017.
January to April: Trade Book Revenue (in millions)
|
Jan. – April 2018 |
Jan. – April 2017 |
Percent Change |
|
| Adult Fiction/Non-Fiction |
$1,519.0 |
$1,415.5 |
+7.3% |
| Children’s/YA |
$536.8 |
$503.3 |
+6.6% |
| Religious Presses |
$144.6 |
$131.6 |
+9.8% |
| Total |
$2,200.3 |
$2,050.7 |
+7.3% |
Trade Book Formats
Revenue for all print formats was up in April 2018, compared to April 2017. For the year-to-date, print formats comprised $1.6 billion of revenue, up 7.4% from the same timeframe in 2017. Downloaded audio continued its significant growth and revenue for eBooks declined slightly.
Total Trade Net Revenue by Format (in millions)
|
Jan. – April 2018 |
Jan. – April 2017 |
Percent Change | |
| Hardback |
$769.6 |
$688.5 |
+11.8% |
| Paperback & Mass Market |
$789.8 |
$759.1 |
+1.4% |
| eBooks |
$358.7 |
$373.0 |
-3.8% |
| Downloaded Audio |
$137.0 |
$100.6 |
+36.1% |
| Physical Audio |
$12.5 |
$14.1 |
-11.4% |
| Board Books |
$36.9 |
$39.0 |
-5.5% |
| Other |
$95.9 |
$76.4 |
+25.5% |
January to April 2018: Education and Scholarly Publishing (in millions)
|
Jan. – April 2018 |
Jan. – April 2017 |
Percent Change |
|
| Higher Ed Course Materials |
$552.1 |
$527.8 |
+4.6% |
| PreK-12 Instructional Materials |
$344.8 |
$365.3 |
-5.6% |
| Professional Books |
$176.4 |
$161.9 |
+9.0% |
| University Presses |
$17.4 |
$15.9 |
+9.5% |
| Total |
$1,090.8 |
$1,071.0 |
1.8% |
Publisher net revenue is tracked monthly by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and includes revenue from about 1,100 publishers, with participation subject to change over time. AAP also measures the revenue of the overall publishing industry with AAP’s StatShot Annual Report, which was released July 20, 2018 and can be purchased here.
About AAP:
AAP | The Association of American Publishers represents the leading book, journal, and education publishers in the United States on matters of law and policy, advocating for outcomes that incentivize the publication of creative expression, professional content, and learning solutions. As essential participants in local markets and the global economy, our members invest in and inspire the exchange of ideas, transforming the world we live in one word at a time. Find us online at publishers.org or on twitter at @AmericanPublish