Through June 11, US print book sales were tracking 7 percent lower than in the same period in 2021, according to NPD Books. The latest commentary from NPD analyst Kristen McLean notes, “While the market is doing fine on a historic basis, there are signals in the wider economy that discretionary spending is slowing down as consumers tighten their wallets in the face of increasing prices and a sense of uncertainty over what lies ahead.” Historically, June is the best month for adult fiction sales; some of the top books in early June include It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover (2016), Chainsaw Man, Vol. 11 by Tatsuki Fujimoto (2022), Sparring Partners by John Grisham (2022), and Book Lovers by Emily Henry (2022).
Other notable stats from NPD Books:
- Collectively, Colleen Hoover’s books have sold 2.2 million print units through early June 2022.
- LGBTQ fiction book sales (print) have increased by 39 percent over last year. McLean notes, “The continued strength in this subject across all areas of the market suggests there is an opportunity for publishers to expand in these subjects or cross-pollinate LGBTQ themes with other high-growth areas of the market.” The biggest absolute gains came from young adult fiction subjects, with Adam Silvera’s novel They Both Die at the End (a BookTok sensation) providing the most gains.
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.
