Print book sales are rapidly gaining ground to match the heights of 2023. The renewed interest in adult fantasy has boosted reader engagement, setting the publishing industry on a promising path for 2024. The year holds significant potential for growth, driven by creative storytelling and strong reader enthusiasm.

A Modest Rise in Print Sales Fueled by Fantasy Books

According to Publisher Weekly, citing Circana BookScan data, print book sales increased by a modest 1.1% in 2024's second quarter over the same period in 2023. The first half of the year had a minor overall fall of only 0.4%, almost offsetting the 1.7% decline observed in the first quarter. These figures offer a positive indication for the publishing sector, pointing to a potential turnaround in sales following a two-year downturn.

The standout performer driving these gains was adult fantasy, which soared by an impressive 85.2% over the first six months of 2023, primarily fueled by heightened interest in the romantasy genre. Concurrently, sales in science fiction and suspense/thriller genres both saw approximately 20% increase, contributing to a notable 6.3% rise in adult fiction sales. However, the graphic novel category experienced a downturn, with sales falling by 16.1% in the first half of 2024, following record highs in 2022.

Authors Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros led the charge in fantasy literature. Yarros' works "Iron Flame" and "Fourth Wing" collectively sold around 1.1 million copies. Meanwhile, Maas' "A Court of Thorns and Roses" surpassed 740,000 copies sold. Across her seven bestsellers, Maas achieved an impressive total of over three million copies sold.

Maas, leveraging her TikTok fame, sold 4.83 million print books from the beginning of the year to June 8, according to Circana BookScan data reported by Forbes. This includes 536,346 copies of her 2024 release, "House of Flame and Shadow," part of her "Crescent City" series, and 4.3 million copies of her other 15 titles published since 2012.

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U.S. Print Sales Market Trends

Young adult (Y.A.) fiction was the only other segment to grow compared to 2023, with sales increasing by 6.2%. This uptick was driven mainly by a 47% surge in books focusing on holidays, festivals, and religion, prominently featuring Laura Nowlin's popular titles "If Only I Had Told Her" and "If He Had Been with Me."

The Circana BookScan report for the U.S. print sales market, received by Publishing Perspectives on June 18, indicated potential positive trends. In May, Circana's Brenna Connor noted a strong performance with a 5% increase in unit sales volume compared to May 2023, totaling nearly 3 million units.

The report shows that Adult fiction led the growth, contributing 70% of the gains for the month, marking the second consecutive month of improved year-to-date performance, now at -1% through May. This improvement contrasts with declines of -2% in April and -3% in March, suggesting the potential for sales to stabilize or even grow over the summer months.

Adult nonfiction, the largest category by sales volume, saw a slight 1% growth in the quarter but decreased by 2.9% in the first half of 2024. Conversely, biography/autobiography/memoirs declined steeply by 13.2% year-to-date, largely due to tough comparisons with Prince Harry's highly successful memoir, "Spare," in 2023.

Sales in the religion subcategory stood out with a strong performance, rising by 12.8% in the first half of the year, marking the highest growth within adult nonfiction.

Juvenile fiction and nonfiction categories struggled, with print unit sales down 2.9% and 3.4%, respectively. Within juvenile fiction, general titles saw a slight uptick of 1.7%, while science fiction/fantasy/magic titles declined by 7.4% over the same period.

As of mid-year, Maas and Yarros dominated the bestselling charts with their romantasy novels, collectively selling close to 3 million copies and cementing their status as the year's leading authors. Kristin Hannah's "The Women" was the top overall, while James Clear's perennial bestseller "Atomic Habits" topped the adult nonfiction charts.

In children's literature, Dr. Seuss' titles remained perennial favorites, with three titles collectively selling over 950,000 copies. Nowlin, Rebecca Ross, and Suzanne Collins delivered strong performances in Y.A. fiction, with their works selling nearly 900,000 copies.

While challenges persist in specific segments, the buoyancy in adult fantasy and religious nonfiction sales suggests a promising trajectory for the industry heading into the latter half of 2024.

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