‘Young Adult’ Books Attract Growing Numbers of Adult Fans

NEW PROVIDENCE, NJ—Sept. 13, 2012—More than half the consumers of books classified for young adults aren’t all that young. Fully 55 percent of buyers of works that publishers designate for kids aged 12 to 17 (nicknamed YA book) are 18 or older, with the largest segment aged 30 to 44. Accounting for 28 percent of sales, these adults aren’t just purchasing for others; when asked about the intended recipient, they report that 78 percent of the time they are purchasing books for their own reading.