Amazon Book Sales Statistics: Intriguing Numbers and Facts

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Amazon changed the world of publishing forever. Now, anyone can publish their books and make good money. 

But how far has Amazon Book sales gone, and what does the future hold for this retail giant? 

If you are considering self-publishing your book on Amazon, you should read through these Amazon book sales statistics. They will help you determine what wins, the audience you’ll reach, how much you can earn, and more.

With this information, you can create a powerful strategy to earn more in Amazon books.

Amazon Book Sales Statistics (Key Data)

  • Amazon claims a 67% market share of e-book sales in the United States.
  • Amazon sells approximately 300 million printed books annually, generating $28 billion worldwide.
  • The most competitive book category on Amazon Kindle is Romance -> Contemporary.
  • Books are the most popular product category on Amazon, with 57.2 million sales.
  • Memoirs and biographies were crowned the top-selling genres on Amazon in 2022.
  • Amazon’s share of the audiobook market is approximately 41%.
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Global Amazon Book Sales Statistics

1. 50% of all print books sold in the US are from Amazon. (source)

2. Amazon clocks sales of 300 million printed books annually. (source)

3. Books are the most popular product category on Amazon, with 57.2 million sales. (source) 

4.  Amazon’s E-book sales soared to 487 million units. (source)

5. Amazon has a 78.5% e-commerce sales share in the Books, Video, and Music category. (source)

6. Amazon rakes in $28 billion annually from global book sales. (source)

7. Books contribute to 10% of Amazon’s global revenue stream. (source)

8. 71% of readers bought a book from Amazon last year. (source)

9. According to Amazon Editors, ‘The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store’ by James McBride is the best book of 2023. (source)

10. Memoirs and biographies crowned top-selling genres on Amazon in 2022. (source)

11. Kindle Unlimited enjoys robust subscriptions with over 3 million members. (source)

12. 71% of UK and 67% of US readers have bought a book from Amazon in the past 12 months. (source)

13. The most competitive book category on Amazon Kindle is Romance -> Contemporary. (source)

14. Amazon holds a 60-70% dominant market share in book sales, with 1.4 million self-published titles in 2018. (source)

15. Amazon Kindle has a 72% share of the e-reader market, with 33.7% of users spending 60-90 minutes daily reading on a Kindle and 5.3% spending less than 10 minutes. (source)

16. Amazon controls up to 80% of book distribution in the US. (source)

17. The average book sells 200 copies in its first year and 1,000 over its lifetime on Amazon. (source)

Statistics On Amazon Book Publishing 

18. Amazon releases approximately 1,000 new titles yearly under its own publishing operations. (source)

19. Amazon Kindle holds up to 75% of the e-reader market share in the US. (source)

Amazon E-book Sales Statistics

20. Amazon has over 12 million ebooks on its platform. (source)

21. Women over 45 were the cohort most likely to buy ebooks, with 37% of ebook purchases being made by this group. (source)

22. E-books make up 21% of Amazon’s total book sales by revenue. (source)

23. E-books actually make up 36% of sales in terms of total number of books sold. (source)

24. Amazon’s market share regarding e-books is 68%. (source)

25. Amazon accounts for up to 85% of all e-book sales. (source)

26. There are e-books available on the Kindle store for free or under $1. (source)

27. The company’s market share in ebook sales stands at least 67%, climbing to 83% when Kindle Unlimited is included. (source)

28. In 2020, ebook sales rose by 11%. But in 2021, sales declined by 3.7%. (source)

29. According to the Association of American Publishers, e-book sales declined from January to March 2022. (source)

Amazon UK E-book Sales Statistics

30. In the UK, ebook sales are down in 2021, the “lowest point since 2012,” according to The Bookseller. (source)

31. In a 2022 survey, 71% of Brits say they had purchased a book from Amazon in the previous 12 months. In Italy and Germany, 66% and 62% said the same, respectively. (source)

Amazon dominates book sales across countries

32. The UK’s ebook market is the second-biggest market for ebooks. (source)

33. Ebooks make up 34% of all book sales, with Amazon.co.uk accounting for 87.9%. (source)

34. Purchases of ebooks in the UK are subject to a 20% VAT (Value Added Tax), which does not apply to purchases of physical books. (source)

35. People spent USD 405 million on ebooks, and 82.8% of it on Amazon. (source)

36. 95 million e-books were sold in 2020 – this fell to 80 million in 2021. (source)

Amazon US Ebook Sales Market Statistics

37. Amazon dominates the US ebook market, holding a market share of 83%. The remaining share is distributed among Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and Google Play Books. (source)

38. In January 2016, the Amazon US store experienced approximately one million paid ebook downloads daily. (source)

39. Indie ebooks with single-author sales accounted for around 40% of total retail US ebook sales. (source)

40. Kindle Unlimited was only responsible for 12% of independent authors’ income last year. This is similar to income from non-Amazon sales channels in the US. In other words, the balance is tilted when you distribute books outside the US and UK. (source)

Audiobook Sales Statistics On Amazon

41. Audible, owned by Amazon, is the most popular audiobook platform – it has well over 800,000 titles in its library. (source)

42. In the United States, approximately 20% of the population has listened to an audiobook in the past year using Audible. (source)

43. Amazon’s share of the audiobook market is approximately 41%. (source)

44. The Audible platform produces 10,000 titles a year. (source)

45. The most significant gain in the year was for audiobook sales, which jumped 22% over 2021 to $3.04 billion. (source)

46. Audiobook revenue in the United States was $1.81 billion in 2021, a 3.43% increase compared to the previous year. (source)

47. Over 74,000 audiobooks were published on Audible in 2021. (source)

Statistics On Amazon Kindle Unlimited and its Subscriptions

48. Kindle Unlimited is estimated to have 150 million subscribers. (source)

49. Self-published authors are paid on a per-page basis based on what Kindle Unlimited subscribers have actually read on their devices. (source)

50. Just recently, Amazon restricted the number of times authors can release self-published books daily. Authors can only publish three books in a day. (source)

51. Subscription money is distributed based on the number of pages read by subscribers, with more pages read resulting in more money for the author.  (source)

52. Amazon has two rankings – “best-selling” and “most read.” (source)

53. “Best-selling” is the book that sells the most copies. While “Most read” are the books with the highest number of reads from subscribers. (source)

54. Up to 92% of the books available on Kindle Unlimited are thought to be self-published. (source)

Final Thought

Amazon’s book sales statistics highlight its dominant position in the market. 

With a 67% market share of e-book sales in the US and selling approximately 300 million printed books annually, Amazon generates $28 billion worldwide. 

Books are Amazon’s most popular product category, accounting for 57.2 million sales. 

Independent sellers contribute significantly, with over 60% of sales in the Amazon store coming from them. 

Overall, Amazon’s significant market share, extensive product range, and success in e-book and audiobook sales solidify its position as a leading player in the book industry.

Frequently Asked Questions On Amazon Book Sales

1. How Much Does Amazon Pay for Book Sales?

Amazon offers a fixed 60% royalty rate whenever someone buys your hardcover book through the platform. However, Amazon also subtracts the printing cost before receiving your royalty.

2. How Much Can You Make Selling Books on Amazon?

Selling books on Amazon can be profitable, with potential earnings varying based on the type of books, pricing, and sales volume. Amazon offers different royalty rates for book sales, with authors and sellers typically earning between 35% and 70% of the book’s price.

For example, Amazon takes a 30% cut on books priced between $2.99 and $9.99 and 65% on books priced below $2.99 or above $9.99. Self-published authors can make $10,000+ per month, but the income varies widely based on various factors such as genre, marketing, and sales strategies.

3. How Much Does it Cost to Sell Books on Amazon?

There are different fees and costs involved in selling books on Amazon. All booksellers are charged a 15% referral fee and a $1.80 closing fee for each book sold.

If you offer textbook rentals, expect to pay a rental book service fee of $5.00 for each rental. If you have many active listings that haven’t sold in the last year, Amazon charges a monthly fee of $.005 per listing to cover its cataloging costs. The threshold is 100,000 listings before additional listing fees kick in, so most booksellers shouldn’t have to pay this fee.

If you want to establish a book-selling business, Amazon recommends the Professional plan. This plan allows you to sell as many books as you want for a flat monthly fee, plus additional fees and costs for certain services.

4. How do You Make an Ebook and Sell It on Amazon?

You can use Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) to make and sell an ebook on Amazon. Here are the basic steps:

  • Create an Amazon Publishing account: If you don’t have one, sign up for a KDP account.
  • Prepare your manuscript: Write, edit, and format your ebook. You can hire professionals for editing and cover design.
  • Publish your ebook: Sign in to your KDP account, click “Create a New Title,” and follow the instructions to upload your manuscript, cover, and set the price.
  • Set the royalty and price: Choose the royalty option (35% or 70%) and set the price for your ebook.
  • Promote your ebook: After publishing, promote your ebook to reach more readers and increase sales. 

If you’re new to self-publishing, it’s essential to carefully review the KDP guidelines and recommendations to ensure your ebook meets the required standards for publishing on Amazon.

5. How Do I Put My Book on Amazon for Sale?

To put your book on Amazon for sale, you can follow these steps:

  • Create a seller account: Start by choosing a selling plan and creating a seller account on Amazon.
  • List your books: Once you have a seller account, you can list your books for sale on Amazon’s platform.
  • Set your book prices: Determine the prices for your books based on their type and condition, and monitor the prices of other booksellers to adjust your prices accordingly.

If you prefer self-publishing, you can use Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) to publish your book in print and digital formats. This allows your book to appear on Amazon stores worldwide in 72 hours. 

6. How Does Amazon’s Sales Rank Work for Books?

Amazon’s sales rank for books is based on the relative customer activity of a book compared to other books. The rank is updated every 60-90 minutes and is relative, so a book’s rank can change even if its activity level stays the same.

A good sales rank is generally below 100,000, indicating that the book sells reasonably well. However, the sales rank is not an accurate way to track a book’s activity or compare its activity to others; it only provides a ballpark idea about a book’s actual sales.

Amazon Book Sales Statistics and Facts PassiveSecrets

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My mission is to help entrepreneurs create passive income systems online so we can ALL make a BIGGER impact while having MORE time to spend with those we love.

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