Total net book sales in February in the U.S. slipped 1.9%, to $971.5 million, compared to February 2024, representing sales of 1,325 publishers and distributed clients as reported to the Association of American Publishers. For the year to date, net book sales were down 1.7%, to $2.2 billion.
Trade revenues in February fell 4.9%, to $683.7 million. Adult book net sales fell 2.2% in February, and year to date adult fiction sales fell 4.3% and adult nonfiction dropped 2.7%. Children's/YA net sales fell 13.3% in February, and year to date children's/YA fiction sales are down 6.7%, but children's/YA nonfiction sales have risen 5.8%.
In terms of format, trade hardcover revenues dropped 4.9%, to $231.4 million; paperbacks dropped 11.4%, to $226 million; mass market dropped 29.3%, to $6.5 million; and special bindings fell 8%, to $14.4 million. E-book sales in February rose 7.8%, to $102.7 million, and digital audio rose 6.8%, to $83.3 million.
Sales by category for February 2025:
