NEW YORK – U.S. magazine sales fell nearly 10 percent in the first half of 2012, a troubling sign for print publishers that suggests Americans are still being careful about discretionary spending.

The Audit Bureau of Circulations said Tuesday that overall circulation, including subscriptions, was just about flat. But single-copy sales, which are more closely watched —because publishers make more money from them— continued to fall. Subscriptions are typically sold at a discount.

The industry group says single-copy sales at newsstands and other retailers totaled 26.4 million in the first six months of 2012. That's down from 29.1 million in the same period in 2011.