According to an estimate by pop culture trade news sites ICv2 and Comichron, graphic novel sales in particular via the bookstore channel were $645 million, higher than comic book shops. 

According to the report, sales in the bookstore channel (which includes physical stores and online retailers) increased “dramatically” over comics shop market share and the popularity of graphic novels over periodical comics continued to grow. (PublishersWeekly.com)

Bookstore Romance Day is a day designed to give independent bookstores an opportunity to celebrate Romance fiction—its books, readers, and writers—and to strengthen the relationships between bookstores and the Romance community. (https://bookstoreromanceday.org/) 2021 marks the third year of this annual celebration.

The intense fighting now raging between Israelis and Palestinians – in an area not much larger than New Jersey – may be the worst since 2014, but it’s part of a complex, bitter conflict that reaches back to the first World War. (USA Today)

The power of the backlist lies in titles that aren’t new to us, but may be to booksellers or consumers. Titles that were major bestsellers when they were published may fall off account inventory lists for various reasons, or newer booksellers may simply not be aware of them. 

The Fiction category that seems never to slow down continues to increase into 2021. With PRH category performance up YTD 7.7% from 2020, this is a category we – and our customers – can never take our eyes off.

The growth of the manga subcategory (series-driven Japanese comic books and graphic novels) over the past years has been staggering. It is currently one of the fastest growing areas of comic books and narrative fiction, according to global information company The NPD Group, far outpacing growth in the total adult-comic/graphic-novel category.

Bring on the celebration!

Each June in the USA and around the world, celebrations of LGBTQ Month include parades, picnics, parties, workshops, symposia and concerts, and Pride Month events attract millions of participants. As ever, PRH and its distributed clients have a multitude of books to recognize the impact that LGBTQ individuals have had on history locally, nationally, and internationally, including Fiction and Non-Fiction.

One in five Americans listens to audiobooks, with those numbers increasing significantly during the pandemic. Audiobook consumers listen to relax, to be entertained, to escape, and to learn new things. Families listen together on car trips. People listen while working out, doing nothing, taking a quiet walk, cleaning the house.

Summer is just around the corner and people are thinking about and planning road trips. Help them get even more inspired with these classic and contemporary narratives that involve road trips.

In May, Americans pay tribute to generations of Asian and Pacific Islanders who have enriched America’s history and are instrumental in its future success. At no time have these Americans needed to see the country acknowledge and celebrate the rich heritages thousands of years old and the people who have shaped United States history. 

Asian-Americans are the nation’s fastest-growing racial group, and for the last year have suffered considerably in an ever-present racist atmosphere. Encourage booksellers to show their support more than ever with a variety of ideas for promotion during this holiday.

“On June 19, 1865, Union Army Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas, and told slaves of their emancipation. That day came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. While the holiday was informally commemorated in later years, Texas became the first state to make it a state holiday in 1980. Last year, numerous states, cities and colleges across the US moved to recognize it as an official holiday.” (CNN)

As more companies designate Juneteenth an official work holiday, and the work of racial reckoning is at the forefront of our national priorities, Juneteenth becomes a more recognized historical celebration. Help booksellers help their customers understand this holiday with fiction and non-fiction that shines a light on the past and present.

Illustration: news.crunchbase.com

With more people vaccinated and public places reopening, Covid-isolated readers are likely to be out and about in the summer of ’21. They’ll be looking for relaxation and fun, and PRH titles will be perfect companions, whether at the beach or relaxing on the back porch.