Top Five Pubs Take Half of Sales

Largest trade publishers generated sales of nearly $5 billion in 2004

by Jim Milliot -- Publishers Weekly, 4/25/2005

While a recently released study by the Book Industry Study Group found that 63,000 small publishers generated revenue of $14 billion, the country's five largest publishers did all right for themselves in 2004. According to PW's most recent ranking, the Big Five—Random House, HarperCollins, Penguin Group, Simon & Schuster and Time Warner Trade Books—generated total revenue of $4.80 billion last year. That total represents either 67% of all trade sales (adult, children's, mass market paperback) in 2004 based on AAP figures, or 50% of sales based on BISG's data.

Random House, of course, was the country's largest publisher last year, with U.S. sales of about $1.33 billion, roughly flat with 2003. HarperCollins and Penguin usually run neck and neck for the country's second largest publisher. In 2004, HC, with a big assist from Zondervan and The Purpose-Driven Life, edged ahead of Penguin. HC had North American sales of approximately $965 million last year, with North America accounting for about 73% of HC's worldwide sales. Penguin, which received a boost of $40 million from its Penguin Press, Gotham and Razorbill imprints in 2004, had estimated sales in the U.S. of $900 million last year. That figure includes sales from DK but not from Canada. And Penguin Group's worldwide sales of $1.44 billion puts it ahead of HC's global sales of $1.33 billion.

Approximately 7% of S&S's sales were generated abroad in 2004, mainly in the U.K., leaving the company with approximately $700 million in sales in the U.S. and Canada. TWBG's U.K. operation had a strong 2004, pushing the international market's contribution to TWBG's top line to 18%, or about $80 million, putting North America sales at about $385 million.