By Carlo Carrenho, Contributing Editor
Among the week’s headlines: Tonies mid-term growth report highlights the massive growth potential for children’s audiobooks; in Japan, a coordinated effort emerges to better share ‘the power of manga’ with the world; the publishing industries in Spain and Australia report real growth; and an interview with Eksmo CEO Evgeny Kapyev sheds light on the state of the Russian publishing business.By Carlo Carrenho, Contributing Editor
Small Boxes Big Numbers
Children’s speaker-box company Tonies presented its mid-term growth plans at its first Capital Markets Day, targeting revenue of more than €1.4 billion ($1.6 billion) by 2030 and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 16–18%. The company said growth will be driven primarily by expanding existing operations, supported by new device development and market launches, while AI is being used to accelerate localization, shorten development cycles, and increase content output. International expansion remains central to the strategy, with at least two new market launches planned for 2027 and a goal of reaching all major global regions by 2030. Tonies reported penetration of about 12% of target households in the US compared with roughly 58% in the DACH region.
These figures underscore the scale of the opportunity in children’s audio—a segment that still receives less attention from the publishing industry relative to its massive growth potential (the Tonies report cited a worldwide adressable market of more than 570 million households). The rapid expansion of companies such as Tonies, British rival Yoto, and German competitors Tigerbox and Galakto point to strong consumer demand, with Tonies’ ability to reach 12% of target U.S. households in a relatively short period standing out in particular. The most significant development may be the company’s plan to enter at least two additional markets in 2027. It will fascinating to see where Tonies expand to next—and how quickly the children’s audio sector can grow internationally.
Japan Shifts Up a Gear in Global Content Race
According to 
Nikkei, Japan’s Agency for Cultural Affairs has launched a public–private consortium to expand the international reach of Japanese manga, holding its first meeting on June 18. The initiative brings together publishers, government agencies, technology companies, and other stakeholders to support multilingual manga translation, share market intelligence, and explore the creation of a cross-publisher distribution platform. Agency Commissioner Gakuji Ito said the government aims to help communicate “the power of manga to the world” while ensuring creators are properly compensated. The agency is also backing university and vocational programs that use AI-assisted translation to train new talent. The move supports Japan’s broader goal of increasing overseas sales of Japanese content, including manga, to ¥20 trillion ($124.3 billion) by 2033—more than triple current levels.
For those following Japan’s publishing industry, the initiative confirms a broader trend that has been building for some time now. Japan is placing increasing emphasis on exporting its content and intellectual property directly, spanning manga, anime, games, and other areas of popular culture, rather than relying primarily on overseas licensing partners. By bringing together publishers, technology companies, and government agencies to strengthen translation, distribution, and international market access, the consortium reflects a more coordinated approach to global expansion. Such shifts traditionally take time in Japan, but the country appears to be accelerating its efforts as it seeks to establish itself as a leading global content powerhouse.
Comics and Audio Fuel Spain’s Real Growth
According to Proyecto451, citing advance results from the Comercio Interior del Libro 2025 report by the Federación de Gremios de Editores de España (FGEE), Spanish publishers generated €3,138.51 million ($3.6 billion) in revenue in 2025, up 3.3% year-over-year and the highest level recorded in two decades. Print sales reached 196.12 million copies, while 89,107 titles were published, bringing the active catalog to 983,209 titles. Adult fiction and children’s/YA revenues rose 17.2% and 17.8% respectively, while comics and graphic novels posted the strongest print growth, up 38.6% to €97.29 million ($111.5 million). Bookstores accounted for 40.5% of print revenue, generating €1,192.94 million ($1.37 billion). Digital publishing increased 5.3% to €174.39 million ($199.9 million), and audiobook revenue climbed 53.3% to €15.30 million ($17.5 million).
With Spain’s average inflation rate at 2.7% in 2025, these figures indicate that the Spanish publishing industry achieved real growth rather than merely keeping pace with rising prices. The results also highlight the wide variation between segments of the market. Audiobooks and comics and graphic novels delivered the strongest gains, yet both still account for relatively small shares of overall revenue. Audiobooks, despite their rapid expansion, represent just under 0.5% of Spain’s publishing revenue, while comics and graphic novels account for just 3.1% of the total market.
Eksmo CEO Gives a Snapshot of the Russian Industry
In an interview with Knizhnaya Industriya, Eksmo CEO Evgeny Kapyev talks about the publisher’s priorities and market trends. Kapyev said Eksmo remains focused on promoting Russian authors, expanding international rights sales, and building cross-industry partnerships. He also highlighted growing demand for practical nonfiction books about Russia, paper maps and travel guides, and romance fiction by Russian authors, while reporting weaker demand for self-help and business titles. China remains a key export market for Russian content, and Eksmo continues to work with European partners. Kapyev also described artificial intelligence as both an opportunity and a challenge, noting that the company is developing around 20 AI-related initiatives.
This interview is notable not only for its content but also because it marks Kapyev’s return to public activity following his brief detention by Russian authorities in April over a case linked to LGBTQ+ titles acquired through Eksmo’s purchase of Popcorn Books. Released without charges, he has since resumed his regular industry commentary and bestseller updates. The interview offers a useful snapshot of the state of the Russian publishing market, and one of the clearest recent portraits its leading publisher.
Coloring Books Fade Down Under
Books+Publishing reports that Australian book sales increased by A$14 million (US$9.1 million) year to date in 2026 compared with the first quarter of 2025, according to NielsenIQ BookData Australia. The total market grew 5% by value and 1.3% by volume, with children’s, YA, and educational titles up 9.6% by value, adult fiction up 5.7%, and trade nonfiction up 1.6% (despite a 0.5% decline in volume).
Bestsellers including Mel Robbins’s The Let Them Theory and Rebecca Yarros’s Onyx Storm helped shape category performance in 2025. The publication also highlighted the long-term decline of the coloring-book boom, with sales falling from A$38 million ($24.7 million USD) in 2015 at an average price of A$13 ($8.4 USD) per copy to A$15 million ($9.7 million USD) in 2025 at about A$8 ($5.2 USD) per book.
With inflation running at 3.8%, the figures point to genuine growth in the Australian book market in 2026. Furthermore, real growth was broadly in line with volume growth, suggesting that the increase in market value is not being driven by a rise in average book prices, which have remained relatively stable.
If You Can’t Stop AI, Invoice It
According to Publishers Weekly, two major academic and educational publishers highlighted the growing commercial impact of AI in their latest financial results: Wiley reported fiscal 2026 revenue of $1.67 billion, with AI licensing generated $49 million in revenue during the year. Meanwhile, McGraw Hill reported flat fiscal 2026 sales of $2.1 billion but said its AI-powered personalized learning tools are now serving more than 7.5 million users and supporting a curriculum platform with over 100 million active student and educator licenses across more than 100 countries, with preparations are underway to pilot an agentic AI version of its precision education model.
Despite the ongoing controversies surrounding AI and publishers’ sometimes contradictory responses to the technology, these results suggest that AI is becoming firmly embedded in the business strategies of several major publishing groups, particularly in the academic and educational markets. While publishers continue to seek safeguards against the use of their content for AI training, they are also increasingly adopting AI to improve efficiency, enhance products, and generate new revenue streams through licensing.
Another Stamp in Kinokuniya’s Passport
According to Shinbunka, Kinokuniya Bookstore opened its first store in Bangladesh on June 19 through a franchise partnership with United Group, one of the country’s largest business conglomerates. Located in Dhaka, the new outlet marks Kinokuniya’s entry into the Bangladeshi market and expands the Japanese bookseller’s international network to 49 stores across 11 countries, underscoring its continued focus on overseas growth in Asia.
The expansion into Bangladesh is another example of Kinokuniya’s long-standing strategy of building a truly international bookstore network. The move also reflects a broader trend among Japanese publishing and bookselling companies, which are increasingly seeking opportunities to establish local operations abroad and strengthen their presence in international markets.
Reading Without Borders
In The New Yorker, Jessica Winter argues that debates over whether children’s books are “good” or “bad” (highlighted by the controversial recent comments made by author Mac Barnett) overlook a broader literacy challenge: fewer children are reading for pleasure. The article notes that eighth grade reading scores in 2024 fell to their lowest level since 1990, while only 14% of 13-year-olds reported reading for fun almost every day, down from 35% in 1984. Winter links the decline to increased time spent online, pressure on literacy programs, and fewer school librarians, while highlighting the role librarians play in fostering reading habits. The article also points to graphic novels, informational titles, and other popular formats as important tools for maintaining engagement.
This article is a timely reminder that the publishing industry, educators, policymakers, and librarians should prioritize getting children to read rather than focusing on what they read. In an environment where books compete with gaming, social media, video platforms, and endless online distractions, the challenge is no longer competition among reading formats or genres but competition for attention itself. Efforts to control kids’ reading choices miss the larger issue: too many kids aren’t reading.
What Else Caught My Eye
A pride boat. More than 100 Dutch publishing professionals will take part in Amsterdam’s Canal Parade aboard a giant book-shaped boat to highlight growing international pressure on queer books, authors, and stories. According to InCT.
A BookTech call. BookTech Collective launches with a free global conference on June 23 focused on AI and digital transformation, reflecting its mission to connect publishers and technology professionals across regions and markets.
A Hollywood accountant. Consultant George Walkley argues that tying AI-content compensation to operating profit risks recreating the logic of Hollywood accounting, where blockbuster successes can somehow remain unprofitable for creators on paper.
A book genie. Storytel has launched an AI assistant that recommends books, answers questions, and generates recaps, moving audiobook discovery a step closer to becoming a conversation rather than a search.
Scotch support. Publishing Scotland has opened a new round of its Translation Fund, which over the past 11 years has helped support around 272 publishers and translations into 42 languages. According to Publishing Perspectives.
A competitive move. German audio distributor Kontor New Media has added Edel’s Jumbo and Goya audiobook imprints to its catalogue. According to their Linkedin.
The writer of this column has always enjoyed visiting Kinokuniya bookstores, whether in Dubai or New York. Beyond the excellent selection of books, there is always something enjoyable about browsing the Japanese stationery section, with its pens, notebooks, and countless other items. On another note, the writer remains convinced that the potential for audiobooks in the Spanish-speaking world has barely been tapped. Spain’s audiobook revenue share within the publishing market is evidence of how much room there is still to grow, and the vast opportunities remain largely unexplored across Latin America as well.