- Fantasy books, along with science fiction, generate $590.2 million in sales each year in the United States.
- Fantasy book sales grew by 45.3% in 2021 compared to 2020, which was the largest increase among all genres aside from graphic novels.
- Only in Q1 of 2021, fantasy sales were up 48.4% compared to the same period in 2020.
- In the UK, sales of fantasy books increased by 23% in 2021 compared to pre-pandemic years.
- In Australia, science fiction and fantasy books recorded the largest sales growth within the adult fiction category.
- Within the comic books genre, fantasy sales were up 43% in 2021 compared to 2020.
- Fantasy ranks no.8 on the list of the most competitive book categories on Amazon.
- Fantasy audiobooks, combined with science fiction, hold the largest share of sales among all audiobook categories, which generated $1.6 billion in revenue in 2021.
What are the best-selling fantasy books of all time?
- J.K. Rowling’s most popular Harry Potter series sold over 500 million copies worldwide, making it the best-selling fantasy book series of all time.
- Lord of the Rings is in second place, as the series sold over 150 million copies.
- Tolkien’s other book series, The Hobbit, stands in third place with 142 million copies sold.
- 3 other fantasy books and book series sold over 100 million copies worldwide.
| Title | Author | Copies sold* | |
| 1 | Harry Potter Series | J.K. Rowling | 500 million |
| 2 | The Lord of the Rings | J. R. R. Tolkien | 150 million |
| 3 | The Hobbit | J. R. R. Tolkien | 142 million |
| 4 | The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince) | Antoine de Saint-Exupéry | 140 million |
| 5 | The Chronicles of Narnia | C. S. Lewis | 100 million |
| 6 | Twilight | Stephenie Meyer | 100 million |
| 7 | The Vampire Chronicles | Ann Rice | 80 million |
| 8 | The Wheel of Time | Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson | 80 million |
| 9 | Discworld | Terry Pratchett | 70 million |
| 10 | A Song of Ice and Fire | George R. R. Martin | 60 million |
How much do fantasy authors make?
Depending on the type of deal the authors arranged for publishing and the format of the book, royalties for fantasy authors can vary from 8% to 60% for every sold copy:
- Fantasy authors who work with traditional publishers earn around 15% from every hardcover copy sold.
- Additionally, fantasy authors usually receive around 8% off every ebook copy sold.
- For fantasy authors who decide to go with self-publishing, royalties for printed copies range from 40% to 60%.
- Ebook royalties for self-published authors go as high as 25% for every sold copy.