Since March 2020, PublishDrive has been generating digital book sales reports, compiling hard-to-find data from various outlets, including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Google Play Books, libraries, regional stores, and more. They have now published their stats for April and May, months that saw much of the world’s population in lockdown.
The graph below presents the increase in sales in April (red bar) and May 2020 (blue bar) compared to the same months last year. One notable conclusion is that sales have increased for every single outlet, in some cases as much as almost 300%.
Which genres are doing great?
Not all genres are as successful, though. Specifically, non-fiction, fantasy, science-fiction, and thriller genres are doing great. Surprisingly, perhaps, some popular genres like romance and erotica saw a slight decrease in April (but made it back to the top in May). Here is the complete list:
Interestingly, genre popularity differed significantly across countries and outlets:
International sales of English titles did especially well:
The US and UK are the top countries based on sales value, with sales increasing month by month. Other countries also stand out: New Zealand, Belgium, Netherlands, and more. If you are interested in a more detailed country analysis, download PublishDrive’s free report based on April 2020’s book sales data.
Book royalties sources
Book royalties come from different sources today, not just from selling one copy to a consumer. Typically, these sources can be categorized:
- Retail: Major outlets that reach global readers with the usual one copy purchase business model. E.g. Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play Books, and Kobo.
- Subscription services: Usually applications or stores that provide unlimited access to books in exchange for a monthly subscription fee. E.g. Scribd, Bookmate, and Dreame. A surprising amount of royalties come from these.
- Digital library providers: Book borrowing for not just individuals, but institutions like public libraries, schools, universities, or corporate libraries. E.g. OverDrive, Bibliotheca, Mackin, and Odilo.
- Regional stores: Outlets that cover a specific region that serves the local community. E.g. Tolion, Chinese stores, Hungarian outlets, and German network. Regional stores grew significantly by 136%, telling us that people looked to local stores for digital books first.
To me, the main takeaway is that digital book sales are doing great at the moment. During the shutdown, people want more at-home entertainment, prioritizing digital means to get them. Things like movie-streaming services, video games, and books are seeing a significant boom. This trend was dominant in March and April, and in May the trend continues.
However, it will be interesting to see how much of this growth was due to COVID-19 lockdowns and how sustainable it is. Based on a PublishDrive mid-month report, book sales are still looking strong in June compared to last year with an estimated 50% growth. Watch this space and check out the full post on PublishDrive for more data!
jvtopsales said:
One of the easy way to spend your time while at home is reading some books.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
And one of the best 🙂
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beetleypete said:
I can imagine that Fantasy is a genre chosen by many this year. Escaping the reality of life in 2020 is something that a lot of people have been trying to do. All the better that they do that in a book.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
That’s a good point!
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Deborah Jay said:
I need to revisit Publish Drive. I published my books through them to Google Play, or so I thought. I went through all the complicated forms and permissions, and was told I’d competed the process, but when I set up a recent promotion I discovered none of my titles were available on Google. So frustrated with PD’s recent changes which make it really hard to get support, I just gave up and ignored it.
Looking at those sale figures tempts me into one more go, particularly as I write fantasy.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Ouch. I don’t use them, so thanks for sharing your experience!
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The Story Reading Ape said:
Reblogged this on Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog and commented:
Interesting article from Nicholas 😃
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V.M.Sang said:
Let’s hope that after this, people will realise the pleasure in reading books. I prefer it to watching a video.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Amen to that!
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gibsonauthor said:
Reblogged this on s a gibson.
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ContentRevival said:
The outbreak has been really good to authors! 😀 More reading is a positive thing.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Reading sure is a positive thing! Thanks and welcome to my blog 🙂
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jane tims said:
I noticed this on my own book sales, especially during the first thirty days of lock-down.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Many thanks for sharing your experience, Jane! It seems to be the consensus that the lockdown has encouraged people to read more.
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Victoria Ray NB said:
Agreed, but I think the biggest sales were in March and April, I think it will slow down now, when its warmer and people are able to go out..
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Sorry it took me so long to respond; I’ve been away. You’re probably right. Also, it really depends on lockdowns and whether they continue.
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kimwrtr said:
Reblogged this on Kim's Musings.
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Don Massenzio said:
Reblogged this on Author Don Massenzio and commented:
Check out this informative post from Nicholas Rossis’ blog that features a Book Sales COVID-19 Increase
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Joan Hall said:
Reading is much better than watching TV!
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Sorry it took me so long to respond; I’ve been away. And yes, I agree. Indeed, anyone who disagrees is arguably on the wrong blog 😀
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Sumita Tah said:
Nothing compares to the satisfaction of reading books. There’s something soothing, entertaining and relaxing about it.
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Sorry it took me so long to respond; I’ve been away. And yes, I completely agree. Indeed, anyone who disagrees is arguably on the wrong blog 😀
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Sumita Tah said:
Enjoyed the post on your vacation. 😊
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Nicholas C. Rossis said:
Thank you, Sumita! I did enjoy the vacation but not the backlog now that I’m back 😀
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Sumita Tah said:
These windfalls come for free. : )
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