Toronto, ON – April 1, 2021 – New insights into the Canadian print book market released by BookNet Canada
Sales of English-language print books in the Travel and Self-Help categories dropped in 2020 when compared with their 2019 sales, according to new research released by BookNet Canada. Books in the Games, Education, and Thriller categories, however, saw their sales rise. But the biggest category growth was found in Juvenile Non-Fiction titles: their market share rose from 8.8% in 2019 to 9.4% in 2020.
For the third year running, two out of every five print books sold in 2020 in both the English- and French-language markets in Canada were categorized as either Juvenile or Young Adult (YA). (Top-level highlight data for the French-language market are provided by the Société de gestion de la Banque de titres de langue française (BTLF).)
Last year, Michelle Obama’s Becoming was the top-selling English language print book for the second year in a row. In 2020 her title was replaced by her husband’s. Barack Obama’s A Promised Land was the top-selling print book overall in Canada and the top-selling Non-Fiction title. The top-selling Fiction title was American Dirt: A Novel by Jeanine Cummins. In the Juvenile category, the top-seller was Grime and Punishment by Dav Pilkey and the top-selling title in the Young Adult category was The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins. The top-selling title from a Canadian-owned publisher was Love You Forever by Robert Munsch.
Other insights of note from the report show that The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is the top-seller for Self-Help books in 2020 for the fourth year in a row. In the Women’s Fiction category, the top 10 hardcover and top 10 paperback lists each include five books by Danielle Steel. The top four paperback titles in the Poetry category are by Canadian poet rupi kaur (her three books of poetry and the boxed set).
If you’re looking to get a picture of the changes in the sales of English-language print books in Canada last year, The Canadian Book Market 2020 is your definitive guide. BookNet Canada's tentpole publication reports on sales value, sales volume, and number of ISBNs with sales in 2020, as tracked by BNC SalesData, the national sales tracking service for the print English-language trade market in Canada. The report is a comprehensive guide to more than 50 subject categories, complete with year-over-year comparative data, market share for Canadian-owned publishers, the top selling titles, price-point analysis, performance by publication date, and top-level data on consumer buying habits, including format distribution.
A sample of the report is available at booknetcanada.ca/canadian-book-market, along with links to purchase. You can also take a look at the infographic on the BookNet Canada Blog for total volume and value sold for the year. Coming up in 2021, BookNet Canada will be releasing reports on how Canadians spend their leisure and reading time, an updated look at what readers think about diversity in the Canadian book market, and a second survey of Canadian independent booksellers, as well as other new research projects.
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BookNet Canada is a non-profit organization that develops technology, standards, and education to serve the Canadian book industry. Founded in 2002 to address systemic challenges in the industry, BookNet Canada supports publishing companies, booksellers, wholesalers, distributors, sales agents, and libraries across the country.
We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) for this project. / Nous reconnaissons l’appui financier du gouvernement du Canada par l’entremise du Fonds du livre du Canada (FLC) pour ce projet.
Media Contact:
Ainsley Sparkes
Marketing & Communications Manager
BookNet Canada
asparkes@booknetcanada.ca
(416) 362-5057 x 2310
