By Andrew Richard Albanese, Editor-in-Chief
The Association of American Publishers (AAP) this week reported that total revenues for the first quarter of 2026 were up slightly over the same period last year. According to the more than 1,400 publishers who participated in the AAP’s StatShot program, total industry sales rose 0.9% in the first quarter of 2026, coming in at $2.9 billion.In the trade segment, sales were essentially flat, up just 0.2% over the first quarter of 2025, coming in at $2.2 billion. Within the trade category, adult books were down 0.5% ($1.5 billion) compared to the same period last year, while children’s and YA books increased 2.6% to $560.7 million. By month, trade sales dropped 4.5% in January, rebounded to post a 5.9% increase in February, and were down a slight 0.4% in March.
Fiction sales were up 5.5% in the first quarter, while nonfiction sales declined 7.8%. Religious presses, which finished 2025 up 2.9% for the year after posting even stronger sales in 2024, came back to earth in the first quarter of 2026, down 1.4% over the same period last year, coming in at $219.6 million for the quarter.
By format, digital audio continued to post impressive growth, with revenue increasing 17.3% for the quarter, accounting for 18.4% of total revenue in the adult segment, while ebook revenue declined by 6% for the quarter, representing 15.4% of total adult trade revenues.
Hardcover revenues were down 8.3% for the quarter compared to 2025, while paperback revenues were up 4.7%. Together, the two formats made up 64.7% of total adult trade revenue.
In the professional and scholarly publishing segment, revenues were up 5.7% for the first quarter of 2026 over the same period last year, coming in at $104.1 million. Revenues in the Educational segment—which now, for the first time, combined the school and higher education sectors, posted a 3.2% increase, with total revenues of $509.7 million.
AAP StatShot reports the monthly and yearly net revenue of publishing houses from U.S. sales to bookstores, wholesalers, direct to consumer, online retailers, and other channels, although participation may fluctuate slightly from report to report.