Mass-market paperback market crumbling in US
Posted: June 23rd, 2011, 12:44 pm
The Association of American Publishers released its monthly statistics for April. Mass-market paperbacks had yet another a dismal showing, and the lowest sales figure in many years.
Average sales per month (wholesale, US dollars):
2006: $65 million
2007: $70 million
2008: $67 million
2009: $65 million
2010: $56 million
2011: $38 million (based on first four months)
April is historically a weak month for MMPB sales, so lets look at just that month:
April sales history (wholesale, US dollars):
2006: $41 million
2007: $52 million
2008: $53 million
2009: $51 million
2010: $49 million
2011: $28 million
MMPB sales are off by almost half over recent years, and the trend is pretty obviously downward. Of course, e-book sales continue to increase, and so far this year, e-book sales have been just about double (in dollars) the mass-market paperback sales. Or, in other words, e-book sales this year have been right around where mass-market paperback sales used to be.
Average sales per month (wholesale, US dollars):
2006: $65 million
2007: $70 million
2008: $67 million
2009: $65 million
2010: $56 million
2011: $38 million (based on first four months)
April is historically a weak month for MMPB sales, so lets look at just that month:
April sales history (wholesale, US dollars):
2006: $41 million
2007: $52 million
2008: $53 million
2009: $51 million
2010: $49 million
2011: $28 million
MMPB sales are off by almost half over recent years, and the trend is pretty obviously downward. Of course, e-book sales continue to increase, and so far this year, e-book sales have been just about double (in dollars) the mass-market paperback sales. Or, in other words, e-book sales this year have been right around where mass-market paperback sales used to be.