Now that all the data is in, BookScan reports that US print sales were down 3 percent in 2023 compared to 2022. Important highlights:
- Fiction print sales grew by 1 percent over the prior year, led by fantasy, romance, coming-of-age, and historical fiction. This is the fifth year of unit growth for adult fiction in the US.
- Young adult also posted positive gains in 2023, driven by the dystopian, romance, and thriller genres.
- Children’s books experienced the steepest declines, responsible for two-thirds of the overall market decline. Fantasy, magic, and humorous stories drove the declines in fiction, down from high sales the year before. In children’s nonfiction, study aids and activity books posted the steepest declines, while biography and religion were growth areas.
“The market experienced a more moderate decline in 2023, compared to the prior year,” said Kristen McLean, books industry analyst for BookScan. “Despite softer sales, it’s important to remember that kids’ books are up 8 million units versus 2019.”
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
