Subject spotlight: LGBTQ+

Welcome back to Subject Spotlight, your go-to source for quarterly data-driven insights into the performance of particular subjects in the Canadian book market.

Previously, we looked at the sales and library circulation for the Fiction / Historical BISAC subject. In this instalment, we shine the spotlight on Fiction / LGBTQ+ titles.

According to our latest print study, Turning Pages: Print Book Use in Canada 2023, 9% of Canadian readers read books that were by or about LGBTQIA+ people. How did Fiction / LGBTQ+ titles perform during the fourth quarter of 2024? We find out with the help of our SalesData and LibraryData services.

Buying Fiction / LGBTQ+

Compared to 2023, the overall sales of Fiction / LGBTQ+ titles were up 34% over the entire fourth quarter. Looking at the graph below, sales of Fiction / LGBTQ+ increased by 17% from October to December 2024 and by 61% in the same period in 2023.

These are the BISAC subcategories with the highest year-over-year increase in sales:

• Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Gay — up 72%

• Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Lesbian — up 37%

• Fiction / LGBTQ+ / General — up 7%

From October to December 2024, the most purchased Fiction / LGBTQ+ subcategories were:

• Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Gay — 55% of all Fiction / LGBTQ+ sales

• Fiction / LGBTQ+ / General — 23% of all Fiction / LGBTQ+ sales

• Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Lesbian — 16% of all Fiction / LGBTQ+ sales

Borrowing Fiction / LGBTQ+

From October to December 2024, library loans and renewals of Fiction / LGBTQ+ titles were up 23% and 34% respectively from 2023.

Year-over-year, loans increased by 34% in October, 8% in November, and 29% in December. Overall, loans decreased by 21% in the fourth quarter of 2023 and by 24% in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Year-over-year, renewals increased by 37% in October, 15% in November, and 55% in December. Overall, renewals decreased by 35% in the fourth quarter of 2023 and by 27% in the fourth quarter of 2024.

Which Fiction / LGBTQ+ BISAC subcategories were the most popular in Canadian public libraries? From October to December 2024, these subcategories saw the greatest increases in library circulation compared to 2023:

• Fiction / LGBTQ+ / General — loans up 47% and renewals up 95%

• Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Gay — loans up 40% and renewals up 28%

• Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Transgender — loans up 10% and renewals up 38%

During the fourth quarter of 2024, the most circulated Fiction / LGBTQ+ subcategories were:

• Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Lesbian — 90% of all Fiction / LGBTQ+ loans and 30% of all Fiction / LGBTQ+ renewals

• Fiction / LGBTQ+ / Gay — 33% of all Fiction / LGBTQ+ loans and 31% of all Fiction / LGBTQ+ renewals

• Fiction / LGBTQ+ / General — 28% of all Fiction / LGBTQ+ loans and 26% of all Fiction / LGBTQ+ renewals

Reading Fiction / LGBTQ+

Here are the top selling and top borrowed Fiction / LGBTQ+ titles from the fourth quarter of 2024.

Top borrowed

1. Come and Get It by Kiley Reid

2. The Huntress by Kate Quinn

3. The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths

4. The Guncle by Steven Rowley

5. What I Know about You by Eric Chacour 🍁

Top selling

1. What I Know About You by Eric Chacour 🍁

2. KinnPorsche Vol. 1 by Daemi, illustrated by Avaritia

3. The Huntress by Kate Quinn

4. The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor 🍁

5. Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

Until next time!

Stay tuned for future instalments of this series or sign up to our eNews for more digestible data on the Canadian book market.