Welcome to the third instalment of this three-part blog series where we check in with Canadian contributors to find out what’s changed in terms of market share, sales, and library circulation.
In the first instalment, we shared an overview of the state of Canadian contributors in the market using data from BiblioShare and SalesData. Among other things, we learned that from January 2020 to October 2023, the number of titles in our database with a Canadian marker increased by 23%.
In the second instalment, we shared insights into the sales and library circulation of Canadian Juvenile titles, including data on the BISAC subcategories that have seen the highest growth over the last few years. In today’s post, we’ll be sharing similar insights, but this time focusing on Canadian Young Adult titles. Let’s dive in!
Buying Young Adult books by Canadian contributors
As seen in the graph below, the sales of Canadian print books for young adult readers have seen some significant ups and downs. Overall, from 2017 to 2022, sales increased by 6%. While Young Adult Fiction books had seemingly similar changes compared to the overall Young Adult category, the sales for this subcategory decreased by 2% during the last six years. While Young Adult Non-Fiction titles have a much smaller share of the sales of Young Adult books, they saw an increase of 260% over this same period.
Sales of Canadian Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction, and Young Adult Non-Fiction titles
In terms of market share, Young Adult titles accounted for 3% of all the sales of Canadian print books in 2022. With Young Adult Fiction titles representing 89% of those sales and Young Adult Non-Fiction 11%.
The subcategories with the most significant increases in sales from 2017 to 2022 for Canadian Young Adult titles are:
Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Diversity & Multicultural — 56,691%
Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Careers, Occupations, Internships — 7,650%
Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Magical Realism — 3,867%
Sales of Canadian Young Adult Fiction Diversity & Multicultural; Careers, Occupations, Internships; and Magical Realism titles
As seen in the graph above, the sales of Young Adult Fiction / Diversity & Multicultural have been growing exponentially. From 2017 to 2018 sales increased by 436%, from 2018 to 2019, 2019 to 2020, and 2020 to 2021, sales increased by 400%, 401%, and 275% respectively. Sales continued to grow in 2022 at a much smaller rate (13%).
When it comes to Young Adult Fiction / Careers, Occupations, Internships titles, the highest growth happened from 2018 to 2019 when sales increased by 25,300%. Sales continued to grow in 2020 by 116% compared to 2019. On the other hand, sales from 2020 to 2021 and from 2021 to 2022 decreased by 50% and 43% respectively.
The sales of Young Adult Fiction / Magical Realism titles have seen some noteworthy ups and downs. From 2017 to 2018, 2018 and 2019, and 2020 to 2021 sales increased by 14,600%, 18%, and 65% respectively. On the flip side, from 2019 to 2020 and 2021 to 2022, this subcategory’s sales decreased by 78% and 36%.
How does library circulation compare to book sales? Let’s take a look.
Borrowing Young Adult books by Canadian contributors
The library circulation data of Young Adult books by Canadian contributors should be analyzed keeping these three things in mind:
LibraryData started tracking library circulation for a select group of library systems and branches in 2019.
Library systems and branches are continuously added to the reporting panel.
A significant number of public libraries were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic for a good part of 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Keeping in mind these caveats, let’s review the data.
The loans of Young Adult titles increased by 286% over the last four years. Similar to what we saw in the sales section, Young Adult Fiction titles are much more popular among readers. This category’s loans increased by 280%. While not as popular, Young Adult Non-Fiction loans increased by 349% from 2019 to 2022.
Loans of Canadian Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction, and Young Adult Non-Fiction titles
It’s important to keep in mind that Young Adult titles account for only 2% of all the loans of Canadian print books, with Young Adult Fiction representing 91% and Young Adult Non-Fiction 9% of that 2%.
What about renewals? From 2019 to 2022, the renewals of Young Adult titles saw an increase of 324%, Young Adult Fiction titles 326%, and Young Adult Non-Fiction 299%.
Renewals of Canadian Young Adult, Young Adult Fiction, and Young Adult Non-Fiction titles
At the library, the categories that saw significant increases in popularity are:
Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore — 3,225%
Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / Science & Nature — 1,900%
Young Adult / Young Adult Fiction / War & Military — 1,600%
Loans of Young Adult Fiction Fairy Tales & Folklore, Science & Nature, and War & Military titles
As shown in the graph above, Young Adult Fiction / Fairy Tales & Folklore saw the highest increase in loans from 2019 to 2020 (725%), loans continued to grow in 2021 and 2022 by 91% and 111% respectively.
The loans of Young Adult Fiction / Science & Nature titles increased by 600% from 2020 to 2021 and 186% from 2021 to 2022.
The loans of Young Adult Fiction / War & Military titles from 2019 to 2020 increased by 2,300%. In 2021 loans dropped by 38% and went back up in 2022 (13%).
Reading Young Adult titles
Here are the top selling and top borrowed Young Adult titles by Canadian contributors from 2019 to 2022.
Top selling
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao 🍁
This Place by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm 🍁, Sonny Assu 🍁, Brandon Mitchell 🍁, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley 🍁, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley 🍁, David A. Robertson 🍁, Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair 🍁, Jen Storm 🍁, Richard Van Camp 🍁, Katherena Vermette 🍁, Chelsea Vowel 🍁, Tara Audibert 🍁; illustrated by Kyle Charles 🍁, GMB Chomichuk 🍁, Natasha Donovan 🍁, Scott B. Henderson 🍁, Andrew Lodwick 🍁, Scott A. Ford 🍁, Donovan Yaciuk 🍁, and Ryan Howe 🍁
The Rule of Three by Eric Walters 🍁
Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline 🍁
Surviving the City by Tasha Spillett, illustrated by Natasha Donovan 🍁 and Donovan Yaciuk 🍁
Top borrowed
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me by Mariko Tamaki 🍁, illustrated by Rosemary Valero-O'Connell
Road Allowance Era by Katherena Vermette 🍁, illustrated by Scott B. Henderson 🍁 and Donovan Yaciuk 🍁
Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell, illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks 🍁
This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki 🍁, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki 🍁
This Place by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm 🍁, Sonny Assu 🍁, Brandon Mitchell 🍁, Rachel Qitsualik-Tinsley 🍁, Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley 🍁, David A. Robertson 🍁, Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair 🍁, Jen Storm 🍁, Richard Van Camp 🍁, Katherena Vermette 🍁, Chelsea Vowel 🍁, Tara Audibert 🍁; illustrated by Kyle Charles 🍁, GMB Chomichuk 🍁, Natasha Donovan 🍁, Scott B. Henderson 🍁, Andrew Lodwick 🍁, Scott A. Ford 🍁, Donovan Yaciuk 🍁, and Ryan Howe 🍁
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