Uncovering the Potential of Library Sales

Panelists:

Jamie Carter: Operations Manager, Publisher Alley

Ceneta Lee-Williams: Sales Manager, Random House

Kuo-Yu Liang: Vice President, Sales and Marketing;

Diamond Book Distributors

Library Sales Overall

Total Net Sales (Units): Total calendar-year sales through Baker & Taylor (B&T); customer returns subtracted.

Library Units: Calendar-year sales to libraries only (academic, public, school) through B&T.

Included in Survey: Thirty-one major publishers; 14 major distributors and rep groups.

2007 % Change 2008

Total Net Sales (Units) 72,694,280 -6% 68,347,518

Library Units 26,703,249 3% 27,564,522

Library Units as % of Total 37%   40%       

Study Parameters: Part I

• For April 2009 (30-day period), B&T bestsellers determined for each of 7 well-known categories tracked by the New York Times.

•NY Times weekly bestsellers for the same period tracked and compared to B&T results.

•Any titles appearing on Times lists removed from B&T results, revealing top-selling titles that succeeded outside the traditional retail environment.

•B&T bestseller lists further refined to the top 15 “library bestsellers” in each category (majority of B&T sales for these titles came from library customers).

Library Hardcover FictionNY TimesNY Times Bestsellers for Bestsellers for

ComparisonComparison

Mystery

Romance

Suspense

Family Life

Library Hardcover NonfictionNY TimesNY Times Bestsellers for Bestsellers for

ComparisonComparison

3 Celebrity Authors

5 Biography & Autobiography

2 History

2 Pets

Library Paperback FictionNY TimesNY Times Bestsellers for Bestsellers for

ComparisonComparison

•Average units for Library Bestseller: 699/mo.•4 of 15 titles are LP; rest are paperback originals.•3 of 15 in autoship program; 3 of 15 are debut novels.•Library sales = +/-80% of total title sales for B&T.

Backlist has a larger role

4 Contemporary Women

LP

LP

3 Mystery 2 Romance

2 Urban Life / African-American

Library Paperback NonfictionNY TimesNY Times Bestsellers for Bestsellers for

ComparisonComparison

•Average units per Library Bestseller: 1210/mo.

•10 of 15 titles are in series.

•Several publishers outside the mainstream.

•Library sales = +/-90% of total title sales for B&T (one @ 68%).

2 Reference

2 Travel

2 Cooking

2 Family / Parenting

3 Antiques & Collectibles

Backlist has a larger role

Library Mass Market FictionNY TimesNY Times Bestsellers for Bestsellers for

ComparisonComparison4 Romance / Historical

2 Romance / Fantasy

(Paranormal); 1 Fantasy

6 Romance / Contemporary

Library Graphic Hardcover

•Average Units per Library Bestseller: 163/mo.

•Opportunity exists for nontraditional publishers in this category.

•Library sales are between 52% and 98% of total sales for B&T.

•Backlist is active; 2 of 15 are autoship; list prices vary.

B&T Top Library Sellers

Adult

Juvenile

Library Graphic Paperback

•Average Units per Library Bestseller: 537/mo.

•Library sales are between 52% and 93% of total sales for B&T.

•Most titles are in series (13 of 15 are autoship); list prices vary.

B&T Top Library Sellers

Adult

Juvenile

Category Analysis: Fiction, New ReleasesHardcover

Total Library Units: April, New Releases

Bestseller Avg. Units

Leading Category (by # ISBNs in Top 15)

2006 331,114 7,597 Mystery & Detective (6)

2007 382,211 9,189 Romance (4)

2008 359,186 9,908 Tie: Contemp. Women, Mystery (4/ea.)

2009 366,839 10,625 Mystery & Detective (4)

Trade PaperbackTotal Library Units: April, New Releases

Bestseller Avg. Units

Leading Category (by # ISBNs in Top 15)

2006 101,747 1,106 Mystery & Detective (4)

2007 107,676 1,761 Tie: Mystery, Historical, Gen., Literary (2/ea.)

2008 98,992 918 Tie: Contemp. Women, Christian (3/ea.)

2009 133,213 6,145 Contemporary Women (4)

Category Analysis: Nonfiction, New ReleasesHardcover

Total Library Units: April, New Releases

Bestseller Avg. Units

Leading Category (by # ISBNs in Top 15)

2006 187,649 4,413 Biography / Autobiography (4)

2007 200,982 2,686 Biography / Autobiography (5)

2008 194,143 3,358 Biography / Autobiography (6)

2009 176,829 2,750 Biography / Autobiography (9)

PaperbackTotal Library Units: April, New Releases

Bestseller Avg. Units

Leading Category by # ISBNs in Top 15

2006 92,756 1,162 Tie: Antiques & Collectibles, Travel (3/ea.)

2007 85,114 960 Travel (4)

2008 85,111 1,018 Tie: Antiques & Collectibles, Travel (3/ea.)

2009 89,543 1,195 Tie: Antiques & Collectibles, Travel (3/ea.)

Category Analysis: Graphic BooksHardcover

Total Library Units: April, New Releases

Bestseller Avg. Units

Leading Category (by # ISBNs in Top 15)

2006 1286 82 CGN/General (6)

2007 501 32 CGN/Superheroes (5)

2008 1377 88 CGN/General (4)

2009 1274 60 CGN/Superheroes (4)

PaperbackTotal Library Units: April, New Releases

Bestseller Avg. Units

Leading Category (by # ISBNs in Top 15)

2006 4342 139 JF/CGN/Gen’l (5)

2007 6979 257 JF/CGN/Gen’l (6)

2008 7354 306 Tie: CGN/Manga/Gen; JF/CGN/Gen’l (3/ea.)

2009 12791 511 JF/CGN/Manga (5)