Australia and New Zealand book markets grow in first half
Both markets moved in the same direction, a rare bit of synced good news for authors on either side of the Tasman

A whole market moving up is nice to read about, but it doesn't tell you whether your own sales followed. Growth at the market level can hide a lot of unevenness underneath — some categories and authors ride it, others don't move at all. Treat this as a tailwind, not a guarantee, and check your own royalty statements against it rather than assuming a rising tide lifted your particular boat.
Why it matters to you: A growing market in your home territory is a better backdrop for new releases and contract negotiations than a shrinking one.
This story ran in the Coral Wire edition of Tue, Oct 6 2026, when the Coral Index stood at 23/100 (Storm warning).
Coverage — 1 source
Every outlet found reporting this story.
- Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand book markets up in first halfbooksandpublishing.com.au
Also in this edition
- Authors accuse Starfish Bay Publishing of failing to deliver booksLegal — The allegations center on illustrations and manuscripts authors say were never delivered.
- Judge dismisses publisher antitrust claims against Google over AI OverviewsLegal — Mehta rejected the reciprocal-dealing and tying claims but left copyright, licensing and payment questions untouched
- Amazon price-matching wobbles, 26 of 37 free titles flip paidPlatform — Amazon hasn't changed its rule, but one author's weekend reversion is enough to put every permafree funnel on notice
- Judge recommends class status in Amazon ebook antitrust caseLegal — Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein's October 1 recommendation covers ebook purchasers from January 2017 onward
- Fiction deals hit near-parity with nonfiction as children's books slide 17%Market — Total US book deals fell 12% from a record third quarter last year, even as adult fiction climbed 13.6%
- Audible lets listeners chat with AI versions of book charactersPlatform — The feature launches with Renfield from Dracula, and Audible hasn't said how it handles consent from authors, narrators or publishers.
- Third Circuit affirms Ross infringed, dodges the AI question everyone wantedLegal — Ross lost 2,243 headnotes and its business four years before ChatGPT even launched, yet both sides of the AI copyright fight are calling the ruling a win
- Texas AI chatbots drive school book bans to 12,000Legal — Texas alone logged more than 8,100 removals, overtaking Florida as schools lean on AI to flag "indecent" titles under laws like SB13