In Boston Common, February 11. Image – Getty: Yokaew
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Digital Audio Up Again, 6.4 Percent Year to Date
In its October 2024 StatShot report released Tuesday (May 13), the Association of American Publishers (AAP) cites total United States market revenues across all categories down 1.9 percent by comparison to February 2024.
In year-to-date revenues, the AAP reports, were down 1.7 percent at US$2.2 billion for January and February.
As Publishing Perspectives readers know, the AAP’s numbers reflect reported revenue for tracked categories including trade (consumer books); religious presses; higher education course materials; and professional publishing.
In adult books, according to the StatShot report, net sales decreased in February by 2.2 percent in comparison to the previous year, and 3.6 percent year to date.
Fiction sales declined 4.3 percent, as nonfiction stepped by 2.7 percent, both year to date.
One of the more interesting points brought forward, something we watch carefully for, is that digital audio comprised 17.2 percent of total fiction sales—a 16.6-percent increase year-over-year, and a 22.1-percent increase year-to-date: substantial advances. Also in the digital area, ebook sales in adult titles rose 11.4 percent in February and 7.8 percent year-to-date.
And in children’s and young adult books, February recorded a fall in net sales of 13.3 percent, as compared to the February 2024 numbers. The children’s and YA numbers were down in February 4.7 percent year-to-date.
Trade Revenues
Year-Over-Year Numbers
Trade revenues were down 4.9 percent in February at $683.7 million.
Image: Association of American Publishers
In print formats:
- Hardback revenues were down 4.9 percent, coming in at $231.4 million
- Paperbacks were down 11.4 percent, with $226.0 million in revenue
- Mass market was down 29.3 percent to $6.5 million
- Special bindings were down 8.0 percent, with $14.4 million in revenue
In digital formats:
- Ebook revenues were up 7.8 percent for the month as compared to February 2024 for a total of $102.7 million
- The avidly watched digital audio format was up 6.8 percent for February, coming in at $83.3 million in revenue
- Physical Audio was down 36.3 percent, coming in at $200 thousand
Year-to-Date Numbers
Year-to-date, the industry’s trade revenues were down 3.2 percent, at $1.5 billion for the first two months of the year.
In print formats:
- Hardback revenues were down 1.3 percent, coming in at $524.7 million
- Paperbacks were down 10.3 percent, with $490.0 million in revenue
- Mass market was down 21.7 percent to $17.6 million
- Special bindings were up 5.9 percent, with $34.4 million in revenue
In digital formats:
- Ebook revenues were up 4.7 percent as compared to the first two months of 2024 for a total of $184.0 million
- The digital audio format was 6.4 percent, coming in at $168.4 million in revenue
- Physical audio was down 16.1 percent, coming in at $900,000
Religious Press Performance
Year-Over-Year Numbers
Religious press revenues were down 0.9 percent in February, coming in at $78.7 million.
- Hardback revenues were up 1.1 percent to $49.6 million in revenue
- Paperback revenues were down 8.5 percent to $12.4 million
- Ebook revenues were down 11.6 percent, coming in at $5.0 million
- Digital audio revenues in the religious presses category were not supplied with this StatShot report for February 2025
Year-to-Date Numbers
On a year-to date basis, religious press revenues were up 3.0 percent, at $159.5 million.
- Hardback revenues were up 5.0 percent at $98.4 million in revenue
- Paperback revenues were down 3.7 percent to $30.2 million
- Ebook revenues were down 18.1 percent at $9.0 million
- Digital audio revenues in the religious presses category were not supplied with this StatShot report for February 2025
Education
During February 2025, revenues from higher education course materials were $212.0 million, up 16.7 percent compared with February 2024.
Year-to-date higher education course materials were $600.3 million, up 4.1 percent compared to the first two months of 2024.
Professional Books
Professional books, including business, medical, law, technical and scientific, were down 4.9 percent during the month, coming in at $36.8 million.
Year-to-date, professional book revenues were $70.0 million, down 6.6 percent as compared to the first two months of 2024.
About the AAP StatShot Reports
The StatShot program provides this statement: “AAP StatShot reports the monthly and yearly net revenue of publishing houses from United States sales to bookstores, wholesalers, direct to consumer, online retailers, and other channels. StatShot draws revenue data from approximately 1,300 publishers, although participation may fluctuate slightly from report to report.
“StatShot reports are designed to give ongoing revenue snapshots across publishing sectors using the best data currently available. The reports reflect participants’ most recent reported revenue for current and previous periods, enabling readers to compare revenue on both a month-to-month and year-to-year basis within a given StatShot report.
“Monthly and yearly StatShot reports may not align completely across reporting periods, because: (a) The pool of StatShot participants may fluctuate from report to report; and (b) as in any business, it’s common accounting practice for publishing houses to update and restate their previously reported revenue data. If, for example, a business learns that its revenues were greater in a given year than its reports first indicated, it will restate the revenues in subsequent reports to AAP, permitting AAP in turn to report information that is more accurate than previously reported.”
More from Publishing Perspectives on industry statistics is here. More on the Association of American Publishers is here, more of our coverage of AAP StatShot reports is here, and more on the US market is here.