Industry Sales Flat in 2001 at $25.4 Billion

With declines in the trade, professional, mass market paperback and mail order segments in 2001, industry sales for the year inched ahead 0.1% over 2000, to $25.36 billion, according to preliminary estimates from the Association of American Publishers. Industry sales rose 3.4% in 2000.

Total trade sales fell 2.6% in 2001, to $6.37 billion. Within the segment, adult hardcover sales fell for the second year in a row, declining 2.2% in 2001, to $2.63 billion. The trade paperback segment bounced back from a decline in 2000 to post a 1.4% sales gain in 2001, to $1.93 billion. Following a terrific year that benefited from the phenomenal sales of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, sales in the children's hardcover segment fell 22.7% in 2001 to $928.6 million. Paperback sales, however, had a second consecutive solid year with sales ahead 17.9%, to $887.6 million. In addition to paperback editions of Potter books, segment sales were boosted by tie-ins to the Lord of the Rings movie.

After increasing 0.5% in 2000, sales in the mass market paperback segment fell 0.8% in 2001, with revenues continuing to hover around the $1.55-billion mark. And after reversing a decade-long sales decline in 2000, sales in the mail order category plummeted 18.0% in 2001, to $353.9 million. During the year, Time-Life Books exited the direct-mail business and Rodale Press dramatically downsized its operations.

Sales in the professional category, the second largest segment after trade, dropped 7.6%, to $4.74 million. Sales were hurt by a decline in computer book sales as well as a general slowing of sales of technical and business books.

The bright spots in the industry were in education. Sales in the school division followed up a 13.3% gain in 2000 with a 7.8% sales increase, to $4.18 billion, in 2001. Sales in the college segment rose 7.2%, to $3.47 billion, and sales of standardized tests increased 6.8%, to $250.1 million.

Other segments that had sales gains in 2001 included religion, with total sales up 4.7%, to $1.30 billion. A 2.6% decline in Bible sales was offset by a 7.2% gain on other religious books, including trade-oriented titles. The increase in the segment was no doubt fueled by sales of The Prayer of Jabez. Book club sales moved ahead 3.3% in the year, to $1.33 billion. The spurt enjoyed by university presses on sales of certain titles related to the events of September 11 helped reverse a 2.4% decline in 2000, although sales only rose 1.5%, to $408.2 million, in 2001.