Children's Book Sales Down in September, 2012

Ah, yes.  The book market can be so fickle.  As in the stock market, it rides the waves of public opinion, hunches and word of mouth.  Have a look:

Overall sales of children’s books were down in September 2012 over the same period in 2011, according to the 21 publishers reporting figures to the AAP.  In September 2011, the category saw estimated total sales of $151.9 million; in September 2012, that number fell to $145.6.

 Paperbacks showed the most significant decline, of almost 17%.   Nielsen BookScan figures suggest one cause – steep declines for the first Hunger Games book (which had been riding high in 2011 in the wake of the film's release.)

The debut Kane Chronicles title (whose paperback launched with a big splash mid-August 2011) also figured in with a less that stellar continuing performance.

Hardcover sales dipped slightly, by just under 4%, and e-books continue their reign, with a 44.4% jump over last year.

This information came from Publishers Weekly.