Q1 U.S. book channel graphic novel sales grew by 4 million units over Q1 2020 as overall book sales were exploding, according to NPD BookScan information released Monday. Overall U.S. print book sales were up 29% in Q1, to the highest volume of Q1 print sales since NPD BookScan began tracking sales in 2004. Non-fiction was the fastest-growing part of the adult market, although fiction, where graphic novels were the biggest growth contributor, also grew rapidly.
Manga accounted for over 80% of the growth in graphic novel sales. We’ve been reporting on big increases in manga sales in our monthly BookScan graphic novel reports; March sales of manga in the Top 20 chart were triple the sales in March 2020 (see "Pro: March 2021 NPD BookScan – Top 20 Adult Graphic Novels with Actual Sales").
Kids book sales were up 32% overall in Q1, with Dog Man a big contributor to growth.

As Overall Book Sales Explode
Posted by Milton Griepp on April 20, 2021 @ 3:43 am CT

MORE COMICS
In Drawn & Quarterly's Fall 2025 Catalog
May 8, 2025
Drawn & Quarterly lines up work by new and seasoned cartoonists for their Fall 2025 Catalog.
Over $1.9 Million in Fees for March
May 8, 2025
Professional fees in the Diamond bankruptcy case continue to mount, with over $1.9 million in fees billed for March.
MORE NEWS
New Tile-Placement Game from Floodgate
May 9, 2025
Floodgate Games will release Hedge Mage, a new tile-placement game in which wizards battle wizards, this summer.
'Eberron: Forge of the Artificer'
May 9, 2025
Wizards of the Coast will release Eberron: Forge of the Artificer, a new Dungeons & Dragons book with the Artificer class revised for D&D 2024.