What Publishers Must Consider After the Election

And What Authors Need to Understand

It’s no secret that the current election is one of the most consequential of our time. Given the warp speed of the news cycle and fallout from the Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post pulling endorsements due to their respective owners’ financial interests, I thought it would be worth examining what authors and publishers must contend with after the election. I am pointing out the facts here, not telling anyone how to vote.

X Marks the Spot

I’ve previously written about how unusable Twitter/X has become. Book sales rarely result from Twitter posts, and the algorithm favors those who pay for verification. I know people in the industry are attached to their following, but there is no growth. It’s time to ask whether it’s worth social media managers’ time to focus on a stunted platform or cultivate an audience elsewhere.

The Jeff Bezos Equation

By now, you probably know that Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon and The Washington Post, nixed the latter’s endorsement of Kamala Harris to protect his government contracts if Trump is elected. I’m not getting into the politics of editorial endorsements, but I will tell you how complicated this is for the publishing industry. As of Monday afternoon, NPR reported that The Washington Post lost 200,000 subscribers during the fallout of the endorsement debacle. This poses a problem because the newspaper’s brand equity is tanking, meaning fewer people will read it. The paper already had issues attracting and retaining subscribers, which won’t help. Then the question becomes how many eyeballs will see book coverage? That remains to be seen.

Where things get particularly sticky is Amazon. Authors can denounce Amazon all they want, but almost 80% of book sales occur there. The publishing industry is more reliant on Amazon than any other retailer, so while you can tell people to buy from Bookshop.org (and I do!), the fact is that most consumers will use Amazon. Amazon is also responsible for the majority of book preorders. I don’t love that the industry is like this. Preorders do not indicate how a book will sell, and staring at Amazon rankings is a bad habit. People have asked me if there’s a solution to this.  Publishing must steel itself against Amazon and make exclusive deals with other retailers. Granted, this can’t happen with every book, but it's worth exploring options if you’re a publisher with a major bestseller. Books aren’t even a priority for Amazon, but they know they have a stronghold on the industry, so they pull stunts like removing buy buttons.

Mainstream Media is not Having a Good Moment

You might have noticed people’s ire at mainstream media’s election coverage if you're online. As a publicist, this worries me because media is essential to my job. The media landscape has been diminishing for a while, and much coverage isn’t always effective in selling books. Publishers need to consider how to move forward in a climate where there is less value in mainstream media to consumers. It is beyond antiquated to list the same old standbys for coverage just because sales and retailers don’t understand that the most effective book promotion is between authors and their readers. Audience development for authors should take a front seat in whatever form it comes.

Additionally, as I have previously stated, Substack (and other newsletter platforms) should be the centerpiece of some publicity strategies. This doesn’t mean reviews are diminished; it’s a way to move forward in 2025. It’s beyond time for publishers to grasp that readers often get information from other platforms first and mainstream media second. Investing in author audience development is a better bet than the continuous practice of publicists sending hundreds of email pitches to which they never get a response.

My caveat here is that some media can lend recognition to an author’s name, but it happens so rarely that another strategy must be adapted. Journalism is still crucial by and far, but book coverage is more challenging now than ever.

The Election Won’t End on November 5

I wish the election ended on November 5, but I know better. There will be recounts and god knows what else next week and beyond. I anticipate that we are in it for the long haul through Inauguration Day in January. Book publishing doesn’t stop for anyone (or anything), so books will go on sale during this period. Here is my ask to publishers: Please consider what’s happening during this time frame when analyzing an author’s sales. While the holiday buying season is upon us, we must note that consumers will react to the election results and what occurs during the weeks leading up to the inauguration. It wouldn’t be fair to say that a book underperformed while an entire nation bites its nails over the next presidency. The worst thing would be to act as though none of this is happening.

What Authors Need to Understand

The next few weeks will be challenging for publicists and marketers. It is difficult to break through election coverage and social media chatter. If I’m being honest, times like these make me feel like my job is inconsequential. There is so much at stake that it can feel useless to send out pitches or be the ray of sunshine to authors that we need to be. However, we persist. Be patient with your publicist and their results. Don’t expect huge audience growth overnight (you should never expect this—it takes time). Communicate with your publicist, collaborate on what might work, and keep going. We are all on the same team trying to make books work during a crazy time.

END NOTES:

What I’m Reading: I am 300 pages into Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk for grad school, and I love it. Next, I have to reread The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer. My final paper for the class will compare/contrast the two books.

I am also reading This is Strategy by Seth Godin, which I highly recommend. It made me recognize areas where I don’t have a strategy for my business and confirmed what I already know is true: marketing to the masses rarely works.

What I’m Watching: Too much news.

What I’m Listening To: I finally finished the audiobook of Ina Garten’s memoir, Be Ready When the Luck Happens. It is truly a guide to life.