HarperCollins has just reported that they have seen a 7% increase in digital sales and specifically cite audiobooks as a key growth driver. Audiobook and ebook sales now account for 22% of total revenue for the quarter and generated $82 million dollars.
In Q1 2017 HarperCollins saw their overall revenue rise 4% and the publisher generated $374 million. The publisher saw tremendous gains from Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth and Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance.
The publisher’s expansion of its foreign language business drove international sales gains, News reported. Company CEO Robert Thomson said he also sees the potential for more growth overseas. He told analysts, in a conference call discussing HC’s third quarter results, that the continuing strength and expertise of HarperCollins Christian Publishing “should lead to increased business in Latin America, where the Evangelical movement is particularly influential.”
Michael Kozlowski is the editor-in-chief at Good e-Reader and has written about audiobooks and e-readers for the past fifteen years. Newspapers and websites such as the CBC, CNET, Engadget, Huffington Post and the New York Times have picked up his articles. He Lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.