Net sales for the United States publishing industry are estimated to have increased by 9.9% from 2004 to 2005, to a total of $25.1 billion, according to figures released by the Association of American Publishers (AAP). The sales figures are based on year-to-date data in the AAP 2005 December Monthly Sales Report, the recently released U.S. Department of Commerce's 2002 Census Bureau Report and other statistical data.

Trade sales rose at a compound annual growth rate of 9.1% from 2002 to 2005, with sales of $7.83 billion in 2005. The largest increase in the Trade category came from Juvenile hardcover books, which rose at a compound growth rate of 19.6% from 2002 to 2005.

Book clubs and mail-order publications (down 8.2% annually compounded 2002-2005, with sales of $1.50 billion) and mass-market paperback sales (down 3.5% compounded 2002-2005, with sales of $1.08 billion) lost ground in 2005, the AAP report said.

Publishing sales of religious books, which includes many self-help, inspirational and New Age texts, grew 14.2% compounded annually from 2002 to 2005, totalling just under $876 million in 2005.

• Prev
• Next