Graphic novel sales to drop 11.5% in 2024 Publishers Weekly reports, View annual sales based on Circana BokScan data Jim Milliot24.4 million units sold.
This is the second consecutive year sales in the category have declined — sales were down 22.4% in 2023 — but at a much slower pace. Graphic novels remain the fifth largest subcategory within adult fiction this year, but by 2023 they will become the third largest category.
PW’s chart doesn’t break down by type, so any rise or fall in other subcategories will be left to a future report. Romanticism was a big driving force, however, Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarrow The biggest star of the year led the sales of fantasy works to grow by 35.8%. In non-magical fantasy, Colleen Hoover It also maintained its position, selling more than 1.6 million copies, and “Romance” sales increased by nearly 9%.
women go through Kristen Hannah is the best-selling book this year, maid and Atomic Habits Breaking the dominance of Mas Yarrow Hoover.
Overall, print book sales edged up 1% (essentially flat), but this was the first increase in three years following the pandemic surge in ’21. Book sales in 2024 were 782.7 million, compared with 759.6 million in 2020, a trend that remains stronger than in pre-pandemic years.
Pilkey’s Crowd Dog people: this scarlet shedder is the best-selling children’s book, with nearly 1.3 million copies sold, and the third best-selling book overall. Despite strong performance from Pilkey and Wimpy Kid’s Jeff Kinney, overall sales of young adult novels (which most children’s graphic novels comprise) fell 1.3% and were essentially flat again.
With sales picking up at the end of the year, it’s clear that print books remain a popular and enjoyable pastime and collectible. Now it’s up to them whether they can withstand the expected cost increases if tariffs are in place.
The Beat has already begun conducting its 2024 BookScan analysis, so we’ll have more detailed sales information on graphic novels and comics over time.
