Book Publishing + Politics

The fraught relationship between the publishing industry and politics.

There are many topics I want to cover in this newsletter, so at times, it isn’t easy to whittle them down. This week, I decided to write about something on my mind for the past few years, but I could not publish it as I was tethered to this company or that one.

As an observer and active participant in the book publishing industry, I’ve seen or worked on a fair share of political books: some I agreed with and others I didn’t. At times, I’ve had to sideline my personal views to do my job. I can, as they say, work both sides of the aisle. I have booked as many people on Fox News as on MSNBC and CNN. I’ve strategized with both conservatives and liberals. I have seen book publishing’s fraught relationship with politics and want to talk about how the industry must change its ways in the face of more book bans, abortion bans, drag show bans, attacks on those from marginalized groups, and much more.

PEN America recently reported that the number of book bans in 2023 will surpass the 2500 books banned in 2022. NPR has a great piece about it that you can read here. Further, Florida Governor and possible 2024 GOP candidate Ron DeSantis supports a piece of legislation in his state that, per The Washington Post , “mandates that instructional material facing objection in public schools through 12th grade for depicting “sexual” or “pornographic” conduct be “unavailable to students until the objection is resolved.” So let me simplify this for you: If one person in a particular county in Florida objects to a book in a school library, the book will be removed without due process. There will be no review of the material; it will disappear.

In 2022, book bans occurred in 138 school districts in 32 states. These districts represent 5,049 schools with a combined enrollment of nearly 4 million students (Source: PEN America). Reread those sentences. The numbers are staggering. Four million students were denied access to certain books because someone, somewhere, probably didn’t read a single word of the books to which they objected and, based on a short description, deemed titles “inappropriate.” One of the most egregious instances was in Martin County, Florida, where 20 (20!!) of author Jodi Picoult’s books have been banned. I was one of Jodi’s publicists years ago, and we still chat on social media. Her worst offense? Writing stories that tackle big topics like racism, gun control, abortion rights, gay rights, and other issues that expand students' worldviews. Yet, the single person who objected to Jodi’s books claimed they were “adult romance” and shouldn’t be on school shelves. Jodi Picoult doesn’t write romance books. Nor does she write rated-R scenes. It’s pretty clear that the parent who objected to 20 of Jodi’s titles has an ideological axe to grind, and books were an easy target. Thankfully, Jodi Picoult has a big platform and knows how to use it to speak out about book bans. She is the exception.

The economy of book publishing isn’t complicated. First, publishers must make their numbers yearly; to do that, they must acquire a fair share of sure bets. As an industry veteran, I know there is no surer bet than a book by a popular political figure attached to the GOP (most of the time). I’m not here to bash conservative books: some of them have their place in the world and aren’t riot-inciting. That said, publishers need to take a long, hard look at themselves and consider who they publish and how that individual serves their internal and external stakeholders (i.e., employees, agents, authors, consumers, and booksellers).

In February, Broadside Books, an imprint of HarperCollins (owned by News Corp.), published The Courage to Be Free by Ron DeSantis. It was an instant New York Times bestseller and, to no one’s surprise, has not been banned. Peruse most big publishers' front and backlists, and you will find titles by political figures who happily support book bans. Still, those exact figures will be the first to claim “censorship” if they are banned from a social media platform for spreading hateful messages or disinformation. As a publisher, you must choose because you cannot object to book bans and publish the people who support them. Unfortunately, in today’s political climate, where the rights of everyone except straight white males are being systemically stripped away, book publishing cannot have its cake and eat it, too.

The book industry has never been an employee-focused place. As I’ve previously written, the workloads are untenable, the salaries are abysmal, and the mantra is “do more with less.” With that in mind, publishers need to meet this moment and do right by the people who work tirelessly to bring books into the world. That means publishers should take a pass when an opportunity arises to acquire a book by a political figure who supports book bans (and all the other bans). Because why on earth would you publish the very same people who are hurting your industry and the employees, authors, librarians, and teachers who believe that, at their best, books ignite the imagination, broaden the mind, and show kids that, yes, they can read about people who look like them and identify as they do.

Some people will read this and argue that we must publish both sides. No, we don’t. They may say that the consumer should be free to decide whether to purchase a book. I agree with that notion, but what about the freedom of teachers and librarians who have dedicated their careers to literacy? It is downright insulting to allow unqualified school board members or, worse, anyone in any county of a state to object to a book and therefore have it removed from a school library. These individuals know exactly what they are doing: exercising control just because they can. Publishers can exercise control by not paying exorbitant advances to politicians who support censorship. Those in leadership positions within the industry must lead with more than profit margins in mind. If the collective “we” want younger people to work in the publishing industry, they must show them why it’s worthwhile. If not, all the hard work we book vets have put in will have been for naught because there will not be a generation willing to constantly put their value system aside for a spot on the bestseller list.

Afterword:

I’m incredibly grateful to all of you for sharing Publishing Confidential. Last week’s edition had the best stats yet, and I’ll be the first to tell you that I had no idea people would be interested in what I write.

I’m intriguing a new feature called “Book Therapy” in upcoming editions of this newsletter and need your input! Each week, I will answer a question submitted by a reader. The topic should be focused on book publishing: marketing, publicity, sales, media, etc. Please send your questions (and comments) to publishingconfidential@gmail.com. All submissions will remain anonymous.

What I’m Watching: Season 3 of Succession. I have so many shows to catch up on! I also watched the CEO of TikTok be questioned by members of Congress. It was unpleasant, and I’ll write more about it next week.

What I’m Reading: I haven’t had time to read much for leisure lately. I’ve been reading many articles about AI, Twitter, TikTok, and the economy. More to come on all of that. It’s the final week of my MBA class, so I am up to my ears in case studies.

What I’m Listening to: As much as I was tepid on Daisy Jones & the Six, I’ve been listening to “Look at Us Now (Honeycomb),” an incredibly catchy tune with good lyrics about tortured love, right up my alley.

What I’m Doing: If you follow me on social media, you know that I’ve recently taken up Muay Thai boxing. It is fantastic for my mental health and my soul.

Where I’m Going: Some fun things are coming up! I’m a guest on The Write Approach podcast next week and will let you know when it is available. I will talk about the volatility of social media and how it affects authors promoting books. On April 28, I’m attending the BISG (Book Industry Study Group) Annual Meeting at the Harvard Club in NYC. The week of May 22, I am covering the US Book Show that Publishers Weekly has once again organized. And in the not-so-distant future, I’m giving a talk about publicity and marketing. More details about that soon.