AAP’s StatShot: June

In its June 2025 StatShot report released this morning (September 19), the Association of American Publishers (AAP) cites total revenues across all categories down 1.3 percent for June, and down 1.7 percent year to date at US$6.3 billion for the first six months of the year.

As Publishing Perspectives readers know, the AAP’s numbers reflect reported revenue for tracked categories including trade (consumer books); religious presses; higher education course materials; and professional publishing.

While the digital audio sector, faithfully supported by its cheerleading squad of service providers, continued its upward movement—up 16.9 percent year over year and 5.3 percent year to date for 13.1 percent of June’s net sales—paper and hard formats declined 6.8 and 1.5 percent respectively, still making up almost 70 percent of total sales.

In adult books, net sales decreased in June by 7.1 percent over their level in June 2024. Adult fiction declined 5.0 percent year to date, and nonfiction declined 3.8 percent.

In YA and children’s books, net sales increased in June 8.7 percent, with year-to-date sales remaining relatively unchanged at an increase of 0.9 percent. Children’s fiction, the report’s authors say, is down 0.8 percent year to date, but nonfiction is up 9.2 percent.

University presses saw their sales decline 4.4 percent in June, and are down 0.7 percent year to date.

Year-Over-Year Numbers

Trade revenues across all categories in June 2025 were down 2.8 percent in June at $675.5 million.

In print formats:

• Hardback revenues were down 1.5 percent, at US$213 million
• Paperbacks were down 6.8 percent, with $243.9 million in revenue
• Mass market was d0wn 66.2 percent, at $3.9 million
• Special bindings were up 8.6 percent, with $17.0 million in revenue

In digital formats:

• Ebook revenues were flat at $86.2 million for the month
• Revenues from the much-celebrated digital audio format were up 16.9 percent for June, coming in at $88.7 million in revenue
• Physical audio revenues were down 4.3 percent, coming in at $700 thousand

Year-to-Date Numbers

Year-to-date trade revenues were down 2.8 percent, at $4.3 billion for the first six months of the year.

In print formats:

• Hardback revenues were up 0.7 percent, coming in at $1.5 billion
• Paperbacks were down 8.1 percent, with $1.5 billion in revenue
• Mass market was down 29.8 percent to $42.0 million
• Special bindings were down 1.5 percent, with $89.9 million in revenue

In digital formats:

• Ebook revenues were up 2.4 percent, as compared to the first six months of 2024, for a total $526.7 million
• The digital audio format was up 5.3 percent, at $500.8 million in revenue
• Physical audio revenues were down 35.5 percent, coming in at $2.7 million.

Religious Press Performance

In June

Religious press revenues were up 2.2 percent in June, coming in at $59.6 million.

• Hardback revenues were up 10.3 percent to $37.3 million in revenue
• Paperback revenues were down 23.3 percent to $9.5 million
• Ebook revenues were up 6.5 percent, coming in at $4.3 million

Year-to-Date Numbers

On a year-to date basis, religious press revenues were up 0.1 percent, at $408.9 million.

• Hardback revenues were up 1.1 percent at $249.1 million in revenue
• Paperback revenues were down 7.7 percent to $72.5 million
• Ebook revenues were down 6.0 at $25.1 million

Education

During June 2025, revenues from higher education course materials were $153.0 million, down 2.2 percent compared with June 2024.

Year-to-date higher education course material revenues were $1.09 billion, up 5.2 percent compared to the first six months of 2024.

Professional Books

Professional books including business, medical, law, technical, and scientific, were down 14.8 percent during the month, coming in at $37.4 million.

Year-to-date, professional book revenues were $212.6 million, down 7.7 percent as compared to the first six months of 2024.

About the AAP StatShot Reports

Quoting from material provided to various news media, “AAP StatShot reports the monthly and yearly net revenue of publishing houses from United States sales to bookstores, wholesalers, direct-to-consumer, online retailers, and other channels. StatShot draws revenue data from approximately 1,300 publishers, although participation may fluctuate slightly from report to report.

“StatShot reports are designed to give ongoing revenue snapshots across publishing sectors using the best data currently available. The reports reflect participants’ most recent reported revenue for current and previous periods, enabling readers to compare revenue on both a month-to-month and year-to-year basis within a given StatShot report.

“Monthly and yearly StatShot reports may not align completely across reporting periods, because: (a) The pool of StatShot participants may fluctuate from report to report; and (b) As in any business, it’s common accounting practice for publishing houses to update and restate their previously reported revenue data. If, for example, a business learns that its revenues were greater in a given year than its reports first indicated, it will restate the revenues in subsequent reports to AAP, permitting AAP in turn to report information that is more accurate than previously reported.”