Print book market grows for third year running

The print book market has posted growth in value for the third year running, with 2017 inching up 0.09% on 2016. The year ended with 189.8 million books sold for £1.592bn, a value increase of just £1.4m—though volume dropped 2.7% year on year. It was also another record year for average selling price, with 2017's a.s.p. of £8.39 improving 23p on 2016.

Joe Wicks’ The Fat-Loss Plan (Bluebird) has bounded straight into the Official UK Top 50 number one, selling 33,465 copies in the final week of 2017. The Instagram personal trainer has neatly bookended the year, scoring both the first number one with Lean in 15: The Sustain Plan and the last, for his 55th Paperback Non-Fiction number one in total. If The Fat-Loss Plan can hang on for next week, Wicks will have taken the first number one of the year for the third year running.

As last week’s chart includes Christmas Eve, the bestsellers were an odd mish-mash for stocking filler novelty gifts and the earlybird “new year, new you” titles. Tom Kerridge, who scored a number one with Dopamine Diet (Absolute) last January, returned to the Hardback Non-Fiction chart with Lose Weight for Good, while Dr Rangan Chatterjee’s The 4 Pillar Plan and Chloe Madeley’s The 4-Week Body Blitz both entered the Top 50. Fearne Cotton’s Happy (in paperback) and Calm (in hardback) meanwhile charted within two places of one another.

At the same time, Paul Moran’s Where’s the Unicorn (Michael O'Mara) hit the top 10, with Christmas hits Bletchley Park Brainteasers (Headline), Blue Planet II (BBC) and Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls (Particular) putting in respectable showings.

Jo Nesbo’s The Thirst (Vintage) leapfrogged E L James’ Darker (Arrow)—and its Richard and Judy compatriot Lisa Jewell’s Then She Was Gone (Arrow)—to claim the Mass Market Fiction number one, with 11,816 copies sold.

Jessie Burton’s The Miniaturist (Picador) returned to the Top 50 in 50th place, as the BBC TV adaptation was broadcast on Boxing Day.