By Andrew Richard Albanese, Editor-in-Chief
The U.S. publishing industry’s 2025 sales rollercoaster leveled off a bit in November 2025. According to the 1,324 publishers that contribute to the Association of American Publishers’ StatShot program, U.S. trade revenues increased 3.1% in November 2025 ($972 million) over the previous year, with year-to-date net trade revenue down by 1.7% ($8.9 billion).“Total revenue across all categories for November 2025 was up 1.9% as compared to November 2024, coming in at $1.2 billion,” AAP reps noted in a release, “while year-to-date revenues were up 0.5%, at $13.6 billion for the first eleven months of the year.”
The November increase comes after publishers reported sales declines in July and August (reportedly due to shifts in Amazon ordering) followed by sharp increases in September and October.
Among the highlights for November 2025: Adult trade book revenue rose 1.8%, with fiction sales up 1.2% and nonfiction up 2.3%. For the year, adult fiction is down 1.1% and nonfiction is down by 4.2%. Net revenue for Children’s and Young Adult Books increased 4.6% for the month, and is down 0.9% year to date.
In terms of format, hardcover sales rose 7.3%, while paperbacks dropped 1.9% for the month. For the year, hardcover revenues are up 1.5%, and paperback revenue is down 5.6%. Combined, the AAP reports that these two formats accounted for roughly three-quarters of total trade revenue in November 2025 (73.8%) and 71.9% for the year.
In digital, audio revenues rose 15.8%, accounting for 11.1% of publisher revenue for the month, and are up 2.4% for the year. Ebook sales rose 2.1% over November 2024, accounting for 8.9% of publisher revenue for the month, and are flat for the year.
In other sectors: Religious press sales increased 7.5% for the month and are up 1.7%. for the year. Professional Books were flat, and down 8.3% for year. University Press revenues increased 3.5% in November, and are essentially flat for the year, down 0.2%.
AAP StatShot reports the monthly and yearly net revenue of publishing houses from U.S. sales to bookstores, wholesalers, direct to consumer, online retailers, and other channels, drawing on data from more than 1,300 publishers, although participation may fluctuate slightly from report to report.