Who’s Still Reading

from Cynthia Sterling’s Market News:

Worried about the current state of publishing? A recent edition of Shelf Awareness, an e-newsletter for booksellers, had encouraging news. Net book sales in February rose 4.8% to $491.2 million and for the year have risen 6.2% to $1.2 billion, as reported by 79 member publishers to the Association of American Publishers. In an interesting contrast that may point to consumer’s sensitivity to price in the current economy, in February, adult paperback was one of the strongest categories while adult hardcover was the weakest. Adult paperback climbed 30.8% to $128.8 million. Children’s/YA hardcover rose 8.1% to $40.7 million. Children’s/YA paperback rose 7.2% to $37.2 million. E-books were up 6.7% to $2.6 million. Adult mass market rose 0.4% to $59.5 million.  University press paperbacks fell 3.2% to $4.5 million. University press hardcovers dropped 6.5% to $5.1 million. Audiobooks fell 5.7% to $10.8 million. Religious books fell 6.8% to $49.2 million.Adult hardcovers fell 26.4% to $83.5 million.

Anyone can receive her newsletter by sending a blank email to cynthiasterling-subscribe@yahoogroups.com