Global Publishing Industry Snapshot

 

 

The United States of America, though seemingly a powerhouse for book sales, lags behind other nations when it comes to publishing supremacy.  

Even though there are some big publishers in the U.S., several of them are owned by foreign entities. Penguin Random House, for instance, is owned by the German-based Bertelsman AG. 

Only Wiley (#8) and Harper Collins (#10) broke the top 10 for publishers globally, when ranked by sales revenue. Please note this list does not distinguish by profits nor units sales, and it mixes trade publishers with other types. 

Still, it’s interesting to note not one of the top 10 was from China or India, the two most populated nations that combine for about 37% of the planet’s people. Germany had two on the list.  The U.K, Netherlands, Japan, and France each had one. The top, one, RELX Group (Reed Elsivier), has ownership in the UK, US, and the Netherlands. 

The 10 combined had sales numbers in 2023 that almost equaled 2022’s output, down by about $400 million.  

According to Publishers Weekly, the U.S book industry is doing well in 2024. Through the first half of the year, based on sales data provided by the Association of America Publishers, sales are up nearly 4% compared to a year ago,  

Fiction sales rose heavily by 11.3%. Digital audio sales jumped by 20% and now account for more sales than e-books. Audio and e-books account for 30% of sales, while printed books cover 70% . Hardcover sales rose by 4.5% and trade paperbacks increased by 7%.  

Do You Need Book Marketing & PR Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over 3.9 million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

Brian Feinblum should be followed on www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog ©2024. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog. His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).  This award-winning blog has generated over 3.9 million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.” For the past three decades, including 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and director of publicity positions at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler. He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.