ebook sales 2019
As I wrap up my record-keeping for 2019, I broke down which platforms sold the best for me in the last year:
Amazon: 56.6%
Google Play: 15.24%
Apple: 10.67%
Kobo: 8.46%
B&N: 5.36%
Audiobooks self-published: 1.81%
Audiobooks, traditionally published: 1.71%
It makes for an interesting contrast with 2018:
Amazon: 63.92%
Google Play: 14.58%
Kobo: 8.55%
Apple: 7.27%
Barnes & Noble: 5.1%
Audiobooks: 0.0043%
Basically, in terms of raw numbers, Apple Books and Audiobooks were both up sharply from 2019, but everything was the same or slightly down, with the exception of Amazon. Amazon was down quite a bit, but I think that was because I didn’t put anything new into Kindle Unlimited in 2019. I suspect the realities of the modern book marketplace demand that, which is the point of my secret project codenamed “Project Shard”.
I also have way more audiobooks now than I did in 2018, so it makes sense that category would be up.
I got to do a special Apple promotion for FROSTBORN: OMNIBUS ONE back in September, so that helped drive Apple sales, which was nice.
Thanks for reading (and listening!) everyone. In a few weeks or so I will be able to figure out which series of mine sold the best in 2019.
-JM
I wonder if sales on audiobooks would go up if they were published sooner (preferably within a month of the written book.) Speaking of my own purchasing habits, I really enjoy audios and will happily purchase them when a book first comes out, but I am less inclined to splurge if I already read the book months or years ago.
That’s a good point. I would like to do that, but I haven’t managed the logistics of it so far.