According to the Association of American Publishers’ (AAP) latest StatShot report, the US publishing industry’s revenues were down 1.6% in the first half of 2022, with trade sales flat over the same period, reports Publishers Weekly.

Trade publishers reported sales of US$3.82 billion (A$5.54b) in the first half of the year, compared to US$3.84 billion (A$5.55b) in the first six months of 2021. While adult sales fell 2.6%, there was a 4.3% increase in sales of children’s/YA books.

In the adult category, print sales fell 3.3%, led by a 21.1% drop in the small mass market paperback category, while hardcover sales also dropped 7%. Digital sales were down 1.9% overall, with a 6.9% decline in ebook sales partially offset by a 4.9% boost to downloadable audio sales.

In children’s/YA, the sales gain was due to a 12% increase in paperback sales—the category’s largest format.