Shutterbug Shuts the Door on Print After 45 Years

Sixteen of the 50 titles on the longlist for the 2022 National Book Award are published by Penguin Random House US imprints: Five of the ten books longlisted in the Nonfiction category, and four in the Fiction category. So the publishing group has excellent chances at the NBA awards presentation on November 16. The NBA has been presented since 1950 and is regarded as one of the most important book prizes in the U.S. A total of 16 authors on the Penguin Random House US roster have hopes of winning a National Book Award (NBA) this year. One of the foremost book prizes in the U.S. - and hence in the entire English-speaking world - the prestigious award has been presented since 1950, currently in five categories, each with ten nominations for the longlist. The NBAs are administered by the non-profit National Book Foundation. Penguin Random House has especially good chances this time in the important “Nonfiction” category. Here, Bertelsmann’s publishing houses account for fully half of the nominated titles: five out of ten. In the top category, “Fiction,” the U.S. publishing group scored four of the ten slots on the longlist. This is the first time in several years that the publishing group has been represented in all five categories.

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) today released its StatShot report for June 2022 reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Higher Education Course Materials, and Professional Publishing. The report does not include PreK-12 revenue due to delays in data collection but will be updated as soon as that data becomes available. Total revenues across all categories, excluding PreK-12, for June 2022 were down 0.2% as compared to June 2021, coming in at $895.0 million. Year-to-date revenues were down 1.6%, at $5.5 billion for the first six months of the year.

Total consolidated revenues increased 70.1 percent, or $195.4 million, to $474.2 million, compared with total consolidated revenues of $278.8 million in the prior year period, driven by ecommerce growth of 83.2 percent. Revenue growth in the quarter included contributions from PersonalizationMall.com which the Company acquired in August 2020. Excluding the contribution from PersonalizationMall.com total net revenues increased 55.7 percent, compared with the prior year period. Gross profit margin for the quarter increased 40 basis points to 38.9 percent, compared with 38.5 percent in the prior year period. Operating expenses as a percent of total revenues improved 340 basis points to 39.0 percent, compared with 42.4 percent in the prior year period. Excluding the impacts of the Company’s non-qualified deferred 401k compensation plan and one-time transaction costs, operating expenses, as a percentage of total revenues improved 430 basis points to 38.8 percent in the quarter.