23 Amazon Book Sale Statistics, Trends & Facts In 2023

As the world‘s largest bookseller, Amazon offers valuable insights into the current state and future direction of the book market. Their dominance in print, ebook, and audiobook sales makes their internal data indicative of broader industry trends.

Here are 23 key statistics and facts on Amazon‘s book sales:

1. Amazon Accounts for Over 80% of Online Print Book Sales

Amazon utterly dominates online print book sales. According to market research firm Author Earnings, Amazon captures over 80% of the online print book market. This gives their sales data huge significance in understanding print book trends.

2. Amazon Has 65-75% of the Ebook Market

Similar to print, Amazon controls the lion‘s share of ebook sales. Analysts estimate Amazon holds between 65-75% of the US ebook market. This makes their Kindle sales figures essential for gauging the ebook landscape.

3. Print Book Sales Grew 8.2% in 2020 While Ebooks Declined 1.3%

In 2020, print book sales through outlets like Amazon increased 8.2%. Meanwhile, ebook sales decreased 1.3% – the first drop since ebooks gained steam in 2010. This reversed the steady gains ebooks had been making at the expense of print.

4. Non-Fiction Accounted for 59% of Print Book Sales in 2021

While fiction consistently dominates print book sales overall, non-fiction has grown as a share of the market. In 2021, non-fiction accounted for 59% of print book sales – the highest on record. Subjects like politics, social science, and health saw major increases.

5. Audiobook Sales Grew 43% From 2018 to 2021

Audiobooks have seen blistering growth recently. Publishers‘ audiobook sales increased 43% from $912 million in 2018 to over $1.3 billion in 2021. Amazon‘s Audible has 41% market share, making it a key driver of audiobook growth.

6. Children‘s/YA Print Sales Up 11% in 2021

Defying the decline in ebook sales, Children‘s and Young Adult print book sales grew 11% in 2021 to $3.2 billion. The growth was driven by strong backlist sales of catalog titles as well as new releases like the record-setting The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.

7. Manga/Graphic Novel Sales More Than Doubled From 2019 to 2021

Manga and graphic novels have exploded recently. This category‘s print sales more than doubled from $205 million in 2019 to $490 million in 2021. Alongside YA, manga/graphic novels are attracting younger readers.

8. Independent Bookstores Gained Print Book Market Share

Despite Amazon‘s dominance, independent bookstores have made a comeback. Their share of print book sales doubled from 2015 to 2020. Consumers increasingly value shopping local, seeing books as more than commodities.

9. Kindle Unlimited Favors Sci-Fi/Fantasy While Paid Sales Lean Toward Romance

Amazon Charts reveal Kindle Unlimited borrows favor science fiction and fantasy titles. However, paid sales lean toward romance and mystery/thrillers. Literary fiction significantly underperforms on Kindle.

10. Amazon‘s Top Charts Are Dominated By Newer Titles

Amazon‘s print and Kindle best seller lists tend to be dominated by new releases. This contrasts with steady backlist sales that account for around half of all print volume. Kindle algorithms favor featuring the latest titles.

11. Amazon‘s Deals Improve Slow Selling Titles‘ Visibility

Amazon‘s Gold Box and daily deals shine a spotlight on certain books, including slower selling backlist titles. Discounted books often see a visibility boost that translates to higher sales once the deal expires.

12. Political and Social Science Books See Big Gains

Aligned with current events, political and social science books have seen major growth recently. For example, taxonomy sales jumped 300% in 2020. Books related to antiracism, feminism, and LGBTQ issues also grew.

13. Self-Published Print Book Sales Grew 19.7% In 2021

While traditional publishers still dominate, 2021 saw strong growth in self-published print books sold through Amazon and other online retailers. This indicates a continued rise in authors opting for alternatives to legacy publishing.

14. Prime Members Buy More than Twice as Many Books as Non-Prime Customers

Data shows Prime members purchase more than 2x as many books as non-Prime buyers. As Amazon‘s base expands,Prime becomes a bigger factor driving book purchases and sales visibility. Offering Prime deals boosts sales potential.

15. Kindle Ebook Sales Peaked at $3.9 Billion in 2017

Kindle ebook sales trended upward each year from 2010 to 2017 when they hit $3.9 billion. But they have remained relatively flat since, standing at $3.8 billion in 2021. Print has reclaimed ground amid stabilizing ebook prices.

16. Just 25 Books Account For Half of All Kindle Ebook Sales

The Kindle best seller list reveals a highly concentrated market, with 25 books making up around half of all Kindle sales. A tiny number of breakout bestsellers dominate the charts for extended periods.

17. Mass Market Paperbacks Are the Most Popular Fiction Format

Mass market paperbacks (small size, low cost), remain the #1 fiction format, outselling trade paperback and hardcover combined. In 2020, mass market accounted for 45% of all fiction unit sales compared to 15% for hardcover.

18. The Average Price of Kindle Ebooks Fell 34% From 2011 to 2017

When the Kindle launched, the average ebook cost was $10.20. This dropped to $6.73 by 2017 amid price wars with other ebook retailers. Recently, average ebook prices have stabilized as Amazon moved away from deep discounting.

19. Friday is the Most Popular Day to Buy Books Online

Poduct purchase data shows Friday as the peak online shopping day for books. Thursday and Saturday also see above average sales. This is useful for timing promotions and new book launches to match peak buying days.

20. Kindle Best Sellers Outsell Comparable Print Books 2:1

Looking at twin print and Kindle editions, Kindle best sellers typically outsell their print counterparts by a 2:1 ratio. However, books not ranking as Kindle best sellers can see print outsell ebooks by 3:1 or more.

21. Non-Fiction Titles Have 3 Times the Backlist Sales of Fiction

Analysis shows non-fiction books generate backlist sales for about 3 times as many years as fiction titles. While fiction relies more on new releases, non-fiction benefits from books retaining relevance as valuable references.

22. Hardcover and Audiobook Prices Are Converging

Over the past decade, audiobook prices have dropped while hardcover book prices have risen slightly. The average prices were $31 and $27 respectively in 2021, much closer than the $10 audiobook vs $28 hardcover split in 2011.

23. Daily Deals Represent Just 3% of Sales But Boost Backlist Earnings

Amazon‘s daily Gold Box deals account for only around 3% of books sold. However, the increased visibility for discounted backlist titles leads to a 26% gain in royalties on average.

Conclusion

Analyzing Amazon‘s book sales offers insights into broader market forces – the rise of independent bookstores and print sales, growing audiobook adoption, the enduring Amazon/Kindle ebook dominance, the boost Prime provides, changing reader demographics, and more. These statistics help authors, publishers and retailers optimize sales.