September 28, 2017
eBook Revenue Up in May 2017; First Monthly Increase in More than Two Years
Book Publisher Revenue Up 4.6% in May 2017
Washington, DC; Sept. 28, 2017 – eBook revenues for trade book publishers were up 2.4% in May 2017. The growth was attributed to increased eBook sales for Adult Books, up 3.4% over May 2016. This is the first monthly increase over prior year sales since March 2015, according to the StatShot Monthly report from the Association of American Publishers (AAP).
The increase in eBook sales was one element of a growth month for book publishers. Revenues for book publishers were up by $50.7 million (4.6%) in May 2017 over May 2016. Revenues from Jan. – May 2017 were $4.25 billion, gaining $175.7 million (4.3%) compared to the same timeframe in 2016.
With the exception of Professional Books, all reported categories saw sales increases for the month. The categories with the greatest growth in May were Childrens & Young Adult Books (11.8%) and University Presses (7.3%). With these and other gains, no categories are reporting revenue loss year-to-date.
StatShot tracks publisher revenue on a monthly basis for about 1,200 publishers of trade (fiction/non-fiction/religious), PreK-12 instructional materials, higher education course materials, university presses and professional books.
Trade Books
Revenue for Trade Books was up 5.0% in May 2017 compared to last May, with gains in Adult Books, Childrens/YA Books and Religious Presses. For the year-to-date vs the same time in 2016, revenues for trade books increased by $36 million (1.4%) to reach $2.64 billion.
Total Trade Net Revenue by Category (in millions)*
| Jan. – May 2017 | Jan. – May 2016 | Percent Change | |
| Adult Fiction/Non-Fiction |
$1,806.9 |
$1,778.0 |
+1.6% |
| Children’s/YA |
$670.5 |
$670.2 |
0.0% |
| Religious Presses |
$165.5 |
$159.0 |
+4.1% |
| Total Trade |
$2,642.9 |
$2,607.2 |
+1.4% |
Trade Book Formats
Downloaded audio had another strong month, up 43.4% in May 2017 vs. May 2016 and 32.5% from Jan. – May 2017 vs. the same five months in 2016. Revenue for print books was also up this May, with growth in hardback, paperback, mass market and board books. Year-to-date, hardback and board books had revenue gains. While eBooks saw growth in May, the overall format remains down year-to-date.
Total Trade Net Revenue by Format (in millions)*
| Jan. – May 2017 | Jan. – May 2016 | Percent Change | |
| eBooks |
$466.1 |
$482.1 |
-3.3% |
| Hardback |
$901.9 |
$845.1 |
+6.7% |
| Paperback & Mass Market |
$1,008.3 |
$1,049.7 |
-3.9% |
| Downloaded Audio |
$129.9 |
$98.1 |
+32.5% |
| Other (physical audio, board book) |
$136.7 |
$132.3 |
+3.3% |
Education and Scholarly Publishing
Higher Education and PreK-12 publishers saw revenue growth during May, up 3.1% and 5.5% respectively compared to the prior year. Revenue in both categories was also up year-to-date, growing 22.6% and 1.8% respectively.
Professional Books was the only category to see a decline in May, down 1.9% compared to May 2016. However, year-to-date revenues remain up by 2.7%. University Press revenues were up 0.9% compared to the first five months of 2016.
Note: * All figures represent publishers’ net revenue from all distribution channels (these are not retailer/consumer sales figures).
About AAP
The Association of American Publishers (AAP) represents more than 300 book and journal publishers in the United States on matters of law and policy. Find us online at publishers.org or on twitter at @AmericanPublish.