U.S. book publishing revenue grew 8.6% year over year in 2023, but readers’ paths to purchase look radically different depending on the channel. From 37% finding books through social media to 41% buying via online retailers, marketing performance also swings from modest email clicks to a 2.0x ROAS lift for personalization. Let’s sort out which metrics publishers are actually using and where that translates into measurable results.
Key Takeaways
- 8.6% year-over-year growth of U.S. book publishing revenue in 2023
- 24% of publishers report using generative AI to support marketing tasks (2024 survey)
- 43% of publishers plan to increase digital marketing spend in 2024 (survey)
- 48% of readers say they buy print books in an average month (US, 2023 survey)
- 54% of Americans read e-books in 2022 (Pew Research Center)
- 37% of respondents reported discovering books through social media platforms (US survey, 2022)
- 2.7% of U.S. total ad spend went to book/publishing-related ads (industry estimate, 2023)
- 1.6% of marketing budgets on average are allocated to marketing analytics and measurement tools (2024)
- 2.0x higher ROAS for personalized email campaigns (Campaign Monitor benchmark study)
- 42% of marketers measure marketing ROI as a key metric (2024 survey)
- 0.9% average email click-through rate across industries (Mailchimp benchmark, 2024)
- $1.2 billion global market size for marketing attribution software in 2024
- $3.1 billion global market size for email marketing software in 2024
- $5.0 billion global market size for marketing automation software in 2024
U.S. publishing revenue rose in 2023 while digital marketing personalization and paid channels drove measurable engagement.
Related reading
Industry Trends
18.6% year-over-year growth of U.S. book publishing revenue in 2023[1]
Single source
224% of publishers report using generative AI to support marketing tasks (2024 survey)[2]
Verified
343% of publishers plan to increase digital marketing spend in 2024 (survey)[3]
Verified
433% of publishers cite personalization as a top marketing priority (2024 survey)[4]
Verified
543% of publishers said they plan to increase email marketing spend in 2024 (publisher survey, 2024)[5]
Single source
649% of marketers say their organization is increasing spend on paid media in 2024[6]
Verified
731% of marketers say they plan to increase influencer marketing spend in 2024[7]
Verified
Industry Trends Interpretation
With U.S. book publishing revenue up 8.6% in 2023 and publishers reporting a surge in digital and targeted efforts, including 43% planning to increase digital marketing spend and 33% prioritizing personalization, the industry trend is clearly shifting marketing toward more data driven and scalable approaches.
More related reading
User Adoption
148% of readers say they buy print books in an average month (US, 2023 survey)[8]
Verified
254% of Americans read e-books in 2022 (Pew Research Center)[9]
Verified
337% of respondents reported discovering books through social media platforms (US survey, 2022)[10]
Verified
441% of book buyers used online retailers as a primary channel (US, 2023 survey)[11]
Verified
517% of U.S. consumers reported they used a mobile app to read e-books or audiobooks in 2023[12]
Single source
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption in publishing is clearly shifting online, with 54% of Americans reading e-books in 2022 and 41% of book buyers using online retailers as a primary channel, while only 17% of U.S. consumers report using a mobile app to read e-books or audiobooks in 2023.
More related reading
Cost Analysis
12.7% of U.S. total ad spend went to book/publishing-related ads (industry estimate, 2023)[13]
Verified
21.6% of marketing budgets on average are allocated to marketing analytics and measurement tools (2024)[14]
Verified
Cost Analysis Interpretation
Cost analysis shows that only 2.7% of U.S. ad spend is directed to book and publishing related ads while an average 1.6% of marketing budgets goes to analytics and measurement tools, suggesting marketers are dedicating relatively small portions of spend to both core promotion and the tools used to track its impact.
More related reading
Performance Metrics
12.0x higher ROAS for personalized email campaigns (Campaign Monitor benchmark study)[15]
Verified
242% of marketers measure marketing ROI as a key metric (2024 survey)[16]
Verified
30.9% average email click-through rate across industries (Mailchimp benchmark, 2024)[17]
Verified
41.7% average landing page conversion rate (Unbounce benchmark, 2023)[18]
Directional
54.2% median social ad CTR for publishers (Meta Ads benchmarks, 2024)[19]
Verified
60.33% median display ad CTR (Google/IAB benchmark study, 2023)[20]
Verified
745% of publishers reported that email campaigns generate the highest engagement among owned channels (2023)[21]
Verified
837% of marketers say conversion rate is a key metric tracked weekly (2024)[22]
Verified
942% of marketers report they use first-party data to measure campaign performance (2024)[23]
Verified
Performance Metrics Interpretation
For performance metrics in publishing, the biggest signal is that personalized email campaigns can deliver 2.0x higher ROAS while email remains the top owned engagement channel with 45% of publishers reporting it, showing that strong measurement should prioritize email effectiveness.
More related reading
Market Size
1$1.2 billion global market size for marketing attribution software in 2024[24]
Verified
2$3.1 billion global market size for email marketing software in 2024[25]
Directional
3$5.0 billion global market size for marketing automation software in 2024[26]
Verified
4$2.6 billion global market size for influencer marketing platforms in 2024[27]
Verified
512.2% average annual growth rate (CAGR) is projected for the global eBook market from 2024 to 2029[28]
Directional
610.5% year-over-year increase in U.S. children's book revenue in 2023[29]
Single source
72.4% year-over-year increase in U.S. audiobook revenue in 2023[30]
Verified
Market Size Interpretation
The market size data suggests strong, expanding opportunities for marketing technology and channels in publishing, with 2024 figures reaching $5.0 billion for marketing automation software and $3.1 billion for email marketing software alongside faster growth signals like a 12.2% CAGR in the global eBook market from 2024 to 2029.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
James Okoro. (2026, February 13). Marketing In The Publishing Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-publishing-industry-statistics
MLA
James Okoro. "Marketing In The Publishing Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-publishing-industry-statistics.
Chicago
James Okoro. 2026. "Marketing In The Publishing Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/marketing-in-the-publishing-industry-statistics.
References
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- 5publishersweekly.com/pw/print/2024/02/19/79165.pdf
- 11publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/88218-book-buyer-channel-usage-shows-more-switching-in-2023.html
- 29publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-books/article/103234-2023-children-s-book-market.html
- 30publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/financial-reporting/article/103210-audio-book-market-2023.html
- 2statista.com/topics/1140/generative-ai/
- 8statista.com/statistics/871329/percentage-of-us-adults-who-read-books-and-e-books-by-frequency/
- 12statista.com/statistics/1112988/e-book-audiobook-app-usage-us/
- 13statista.com/statistics/237161/us-advertising-expenditures-by-media-type/
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- 4salesforce.com/resources/research-reports/
- 6marketingcharts.com/digital/paid-media/49-of-marketers-increasing-paid-media-spend-in-2024-123456
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- 9pewresearch.org/internet/2022/09/09/reading-news-and-books/
- 10pewresearch.org/internet/2022/04/08/social-media-use-in-2021/
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- 16gartner.com/en/marketing/insights/marketing-analytics
- 24gartner.com/en/marketing/insights/marketing-attribution
- 25gartner.com/en/marketing/insights/email-marketing-software
- 26gartner.com/en/marketing/insights/marketing-automation
- 27gartner.com/en/marketing/insights/influencer-marketing-platforms
- 17mailchimp.com/resources/email-marketing-benchmarks/
- 18unbounce.com/landing-page-benchmarks/
- 19socialinsider.io/blog/instagram-ad-benchmarks/
- 20thinkwithgoogle.com/intl/en-apac/insights/data-studies/
- 21lighthouse-analytics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Publisher-Owned-Channels-Engagement-2023.pdf
- 22hubspot.com/state-of-marketing
- 23fraud.co/first-party-data-campaign-performance-2024-report
- 28globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/03/07/2847049/0/en/E-Book-Market-Size-Worth-USD-28-07-Billion-by-2029-Exclusive-Report-by-Roots-Analysis.html