Adult trade sales rose 6.8% in November 2016, while sales in the children’s/young adult segment jumped 16.2%, according to figures released by the AAP as part of its StatShot program. The November increase in the adult segment was led by a 47.2% gain in sales of digital audiobooks and a 26.1% rise in mass market paperback sales. E-book sales were down 9.9%. Total adult book sales declined 2.1% in the first 11 months of the year, compared to the same period in 2015. In the children’s/YA category, hardcover sales increased 27.4% in November, compared to the year before, and board book sales rose 12.1%. E-book sales were down 27.0% in the month. For the first 11 months of 2016, sales in the children’s/YA category were up 5.8% over the comparable period in 2015. Sales for the 1,207 publishers that report data to AAP rose 1.7% in November, but were down 5.7% in the January-November period, compared to the same span in 2015.

Category Change November YTD
Adult Hard 13.7% -4.5%
Adult Paper 2.5% 6.7%
Mass Market 26.1% 2.7%
Physical Audio -3.3% -12.5%
Audio Download 47.2% 28.7%
Adult E-book -9.9% -14.6%
Children’s/YA 16.2% 5.8%
Religious Presses 21.7% 8.6%
Professional -17.7% -21.1%
K–12 Materials -19.4% -9.0%
Higher Ed. -15.2% -11.5%
University Presses 11.4% -2.5%

(Comparisons of $ sales against same periods in 2015)