Publishing insights · updated weekly
Which genres can a new book break into?
Every week we measure, for ten genres and children's books, how easy it is for a new title to reach the Apple Books top 100, how long books stay there, what they cost and whether the genre is growing. It is built from the same daily charts in 34 countries as the rest of the site, so writers and publishers can decide what to publish next on evidence rather than guesswork.
What we measure
Breaking in
How many titles reach the top 100 for the first time each week, and how many of them are by authors new to the charts.
Room for newcomers
The share of the genre's chart places held by books that arrived in the last seven days. High means fast turnover and more chances for a new title.
Staying power
How many days the books charting today have been on the charts so far. Long stays mean the genre is held by established titles.
Momentum and spread
Whether the genre's share of all chart points grew or shrank against the week before, and in how many countries it charts, English-language markets counted separately.
Price bands
The prices at which the genre's chart books sell in the US store: the typical price and the middle half of the range, so you can see where a new title fits.
Pre-orders and series
How often books chart before release day, and how many chart books are volumes of a series.
What the scorecard looks like
All 11 genre groups, every week, free
While we test it, the full scorecard is open to a small group of writers and publishers. Email us with R2T2 in the subject (it helps us find your message) and we'll reply with access. No payment, no newsletter.
Email to request accessd.rahl.jackson@proton.me · subject: R2T2
How to read the scorecard
A genre with many new titles each week, a high share of authors new to the charts and a lot of room for newcomers is crowded but open: new books get a chance, but they have to keep selling to stay. A genre with few newcomers and long stays is held by established names and big backlists; breaking in there usually takes a series, a strong launch or a niche the leaders don't serve.
Momentum shows whether readers are moving towards or away from a genre this month, and the split between English-language and other markets shows whether a genre travels. Prices show what readers in that genre are used to paying, so a new book is neither out of line nor leaving money on the table.
Where the numbers come from
All figures come from the Apple Books top 100 paid ebook charts in 34 countries, collected every day, plus the US store's public prices for the books on its chart. A book counts in the genre its publisher chose as its main category. Chart positions are not sales figures, and Apple is one store among several, so treat the scorecard as a guide to direction, not a forecast. See how the site works.