After a significantly negative turn in September, trade sales measured by the AAP fared more positively in October. Total trade sales of $757.5 million were up $83 million (or 11 percent), compared to $674 million a year ago.
Adult sales, which have been soft all year, rebounded in October, up $52.5 million (or 11 percent). Hardcover sales of $238.3 million were up $29.3 million (or 14 percent) from the same period last year, while both trade and mass market paperback saw gains of 14.6 percent and 9.9 percent, respectively, for the month. Children’s and YA sales continued to rise, up $31.2 million (or 14 percent), to $220 million.
eBook sales also generally followed their pattern from previous months: Adult ebook revenues were down 1.7 percent at $105 million, as children’s ebook sales gained $0.7 million, to $14.6 million.
Trade sales are still in positive territory for the year, up about 4 percent, though current indications point towards finishing 2014 flat or down slightly. Here is our cumulative comparison chart for the year so far: