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Operating revenue for the book publishing industry declined by 6.0% between 2010 and 2012. Although the industry reduced its operating expenses, this decrease did not keep pace with the steeper decline in operating revenues. As a result, the industry’s operating profit margin fell from 11.2% in 2010 to 9.4% in 2012.
The cost of goods sold for book publishing remained the single largest expense for the industry and represented 34.0% of overall outlays. Salary, wages and employee benefits (22.5%) represented the second largest expense, while the payment of royalties, purchase of rights, licensing and franchise fees accounted for 7.8% of overall operating expenditures.
The Canadian book publishing industry is dominated by firms in Ontario and Quebec. Collectively, they accounted for 94.2% of industry operating revenue in 2012; Ontario’s share was 65.7% and Quebec’s was 28.5%, little changed from the results of the 2010 survey.
Book publishers in Canada earned approximately three-quarters of their operating revenue from domestic sales of publishers' own titles and their exclusive agency titles. Export sales contributed an additional 12.2% toward operating revenues in 2012.
Canadian controlled firms earned a greater share of their domestic book sales from titles for which they hold copyright than did their foreign controlled counterparts operating in Canada. Canadian controlled publishers earned 70.0% of their revenue from own title sales, while own titles revenue accruing to foreign controlled establishments represented 44.5%.
Sales of textbooks in Canada accounted for 45.4% of total reported domestic sales while trade books (other trade, all formats) represented 35.6%. Children’s books category represented 14.5% of total reported domestic sales and was the only category where publishers earned more from sales through exclusive agency than from sales of own titles.
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