We are beginning some experimental work with BookStat, the service that tracks and estimates online book sales across all formats, to provide some market insights not previously available. One feature of the system we particularly like (and helped to inspire) is that it tracks pre-orders on a daily basis, right alongside sales of books already on the market, providing a broader view of titles attracting interest from readers. That feature becomes particularly interesting for tracking new release titles (and over time helping to distinguish between actual opening week sales of books, versus their accrued pre-orders). It also means we can […]
Industry Statistics
Now It’s Official: Print Sales Were Steady in 2019 (with An Asterisk)
With NPD Bookscan reporting their tracked print sales for the week ending January 4 — their 52nd sales week of the year — we now have final counts for the year’s sales, and the bestselling titles of the year. Total print sales declined 1.1 percent following a weak holiday sales period, at 689 million units, down 7.8 million units, or 1.1 percent, from 2018. But those numbers alone don’t tell the whole story. 2018 was one of the periodic 53-week years, so the 696 million units recorded a year ago do not make for a direct comparison. Given that yields […]
Remember December: How Did They Pick?
Here is our monthly recap of high-profile retailer and book club picks from December, paired with print sales statistics from NPD Bookscan for the four weeks on sale ending December 28. But the results are a bit sparse this time, since three sources all selected a book that did not actually publish December 31 — Such a Fun Age, by Kiley Reid — so there are no published sales reports to share yet. (The standing reminder: These statistics are only a partial view, of print sales only. Some of these books were highly anticipated — and well pre-ordered — long […]
Briefs: Bookselling News, and More on the RWA Controversy
Bookselling The Barnes & Noble in Coral Springs, FL that was negotiating with the landlord for a smaller space will close temporarily at the end of February. The store is expected to reopen within six months, occupying about half of the current 27,000 square feet. The words! bookstore in Asbury Park, NJ is transitioning to a community-owned cooperative (sort of; participants get a vote, but no profit share), called the Asbury Book Cooperative. They are selling memberships for $25 to $200 annually and looking for larger donors, hoping to raise $100,000 in all. In Pennsylvania, Cupboard Maker Books‘ temporary holiday […]
Holiday Sales Look Steady Ahead of Final Shopping Days, As 2018 Titles Lead
NPD Bookscan reported print sales for the week ending December 21 of approximately 32.96 million units, covering all but the final three important days of holiday sales. That followed sales of 26.9 million units the week before. That’s on par with or slightly behind the two full pre-holiday weeks from 2018, when print sales were approximately 33.7 million units in the last full sales week, and 27 million units the week before. The big difference this year is that there are no new books comparable to Michelle Obama’s memoir pulling the market. A year ago in the last full holiday […]
People: Fallon to Retire From Pearson, HMH Exec Departs, and More
After presiding over years of asset sales, waves of significant layoffs, and a significant decline in sales, Pearson chief executive John Fallon has decided to retire in 2020 after a successor is selected. By his account, “Over 75% of the company is now growing, as we work our way through a major industry wide disruption in the other 25% of Pearson – US Higher Education Courseware. All of Pearson is now very well placed to meet the need for affordable and effective learning…. We’re now at the stage where it’s time to transition to a new leader, who can bring […]