Hachette Steps Up

Given the severity of the recession last year, the five largest trade houses in the U.S. fared fairly well as a group. With three of the five publishers owned by foreign companies, year-to-year comparisons can be imprecise because of currency fluctuations, but estimated total revenue generated in America fell less than 1% in the year, to $4.57 billion. Worldwide, revenue fell at HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster, rose at Penguin Group and Hachette, and stayed flat at Random House. And because the U.S. represents a significant portion of all five publishers' revenue, the financial performance in the U.S. mirrored that of their global results.

Digital Sales Bright Spot in Mixed Quarter at Harlequin

Sales at Harlequin fell 9.4% in the first quarter, although lower spending resulted in higher earnings. Declines in North American retail were partially offset by significant digital sales growth.

Improvement Continues at HarperCollins

HarperCollins posted a 13.6% sales increase in the third quarter ended March 31 and the publisher had a $4 million profit compared to a $8 million loss a year ago. The gains reflected more improvement over a soft fiscal 2009.

Penguin Off to Good Start

Penguin Group is off to a good start, parent company Pearson said in a brief trading update this morning. The best early performers are Penguin USA and Penguin UK as well as the revamped Dorling Kindersley. "We expect another good competitive performance, with a compelling publishing schedule in the second half of the year," said chief executive Marjorie Scardino, noting the demand for e-books "remains very strong."

McGraw-Hill Education Has Small First Quarter Gain

Gains in higher education and professional offset softness in the school group at McGraw-Hill Education in the first quarter leading to a 1.5% sales increase and lower operating loss.

Books Down at Books-A-Million

Sales of books and magazine fell 5.5% at Books-A-Million in the year ended January 30, to $411 million, according to the retailer's recently filed 10-K report. Earlier this year, BAM reported that total revenue for the bookstore chain fell 1.3%, to $508.7 million. Better performing book segments were fiction, children's, and bargain books.

Encouraging Beginning for Quarto

Total revenue at Quarto held even at £19.9 million for the first quarter ended March 31 and operating profit rose 14%, to £288,000.

Blowout Quarter for Amazon

There continues to be nothing but positive numbers for Amazon. The e-tailer reported Thursday afternoon that total revenue for the company jumped 46% in the first quarter to $7.13 billion, and net income rose 68% to $299 million.

Harper Heading Back Up

Compared to fiscal 2009, when HarperCollins underwent a major restructuring, fiscal 2010 was relatively quiet, and that stability helped the publisher post an 11% sales increase in the year, to $1.27 billion, while profits jumped to $88 million from $17 million.

Borders Paying Two Execs $869,000 in Severance

Borders is paying $869,000 in severance to two departed executives.

Industry Stocks: March Performances

Facts & Figures 2009 Revised

Due to adminstrative error and one miscategorization, the ranked sales figures for adult hardcover fiction and nonfiction and trade and mass market paperbacks that appeared in our March 22 issue require correction. Portions of information submitted by six publishers—Hachette (Grand Central and Little, Brown's Back Bay imprints), Random House (Anchor/Vintage), HarperCollins (some William M...

Solid Quarter for Scholastic

Strong educational sales led to a solid third quarter at Scholastic.

Borders Cuts Loss as Sales Fall 13%

Borders Group managed to cut its losses for the fiscal year ended January 30, although the improvement came in part from a $32.4 million tax refund. Sales fell 13.8%, to $2.82 billion.

Borders Lives as New Financing Arranged

Less than 24 hours before it was due to repay a $42.5 million loan to its largest shareholder, Borders Group has arranged new financing that will allow it to pay back the loan and also give it an extra three years on its credit agreement that was set to mature in July 2011.

Random House Ends Slide

After two consecutive years of declining sales and earnings, Random House managed to steady the financial ship in 2009 with profits holding even in the year and revenue eking out a small increase. Parent company Bertelsmann said Random was able to keep profits stable because of reduced costs in all divisions, a strong commercial publishing program, and the effects of currency translations.

Quarto Slipped In 2009

The worldwide recession took its toll on 2009 results for the Quarto Group, with total revenue down 5%, to £106.6 million ($160 million), and operating income off 10%, to £10.2 million. Given the difficult economic conditions, chairman Laurence Orbach said he was satisfied with results and expects some improvement in 2010.

AAP January Sales Report

The View from the Top

Updated March 25, 2010, with new lists that incorporate previously omitted titles and sales figures. The incorrect list has been removed from the site.

Reader's Digest Moves Out of Bankruptcy

Reader's Digest has officially emerged from pre-packaged bankruptcy today, a moved that enabled the struggling publisher to dramatically cut its debt.