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.

Preliminary Estimated Book Sales 2000 2001
($ in millions)

SEGMENT 2000 2001 % CHANGE
Total Trade $6,540.8 $6,369.9 -2.6%
Adult Hardcover 2,685.9 2,626.5 -2.2
Adult Paperback 1,900.7 1,927.2 1.4
Children's Hardcover 1,201.1 928.6 -22.7
Children's Paperback 753.1 887.6 17.9
Religious 1,246.9 1,305.1 4.7
Bibles 323.3 315.0 -2.6
Other Religious 923.6 990.1 7.2
Professional 5,129.5 4,739.1 -7.6
Book Clubs 1,291.6 1,334.5 3.3
Mail Order 431.8 353.9 -18.0
Mass Market Paperback 1,559.2 1,546.6 -0.8
University Presses 402.0 408.2 1.5
Elhi 3,881.2 4,183.6 7.8
Higher Education 3,237.1 3,468.9 7.2
Standardized Tests 234.1 250.1 6.8
Subscription Reference 809.1 819.4 1.3
Other 559.4 577.2 3.2
Total 25,322.7 25,356.5 0.1
Source: Association of American Publishers