Total net book sales September 2019 in the U.S. rose 8.4%, to $1.539 billion, compared to September 2018, representing sales of 1,362 publishers and distributed clients as reported to the Association of American Publishers. For the first nine months of the year, total net book sales rose 4%, to $11.43 billion.
Both adult and children's/YA sales overall rose by an identical 3.5%, to $479.3 million and $243.4 million, respectively.
In terms of formats, paperbacks had a solid September, with sales rising 9.1%, to $221.5 million, despite a big drop in mass market sales, down 17.2%, to $14.7 million. Overall e-book sales fell 1.3%, to $82.5 million, and overall hardcover sales slipped 2.6%, to $335.5 million. Downloaded audio had yet another sterling month, with sales up 24.3%, to $52 million.
The university press, religious and children's/YA categories showed some unusual similar contrarian patterns by format: sales of e-books in the three categories rose while adult e-book sales dropped, and sales of hardcovers in those categories dropped while adult hardcover sales rose.
Sales by category in September 2019 compared to September 2018:
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