Why is there an apparent difference in book offerings?
May 31, 2010 5:32 PM Subscribe
Why does there seem to be so many conservative books at book stores?
During a recent trip to Borders, there seemed to be a disproportionate number of books ranging from conservative to very conservative on the Best Seller wall and in the political / current affairs section as well. It has been my experience that this is the same as most bookstores. Are the sales really that much better for conservative literature? Why isn't there a similar offering of more liberal books?
I guess I expect there to be a fair balance of both sides at a bookstore, while also I'm surprised that it appears that more liberal books aren't consumed in the same quantities.
Additionally, it is surprising because the Borders I'm referencing is in a very liberal area.
Any thoughts or speculations welcomed.
During a recent trip to Borders, there seemed to be a disproportionate number of books ranging from conservative to very conservative on the Best Seller wall and in the political / current affairs section as well. It has been my experience that this is the same as most bookstores. Are the sales really that much better for conservative literature? Why isn't there a similar offering of more liberal books?
I guess I expect there to be a fair balance of both sides at a bookstore, while also I'm surprised that it appears that more liberal books aren't consumed in the same quantities.
Additionally, it is surprising because the Borders I'm referencing is in a very liberal area.
Any thoughts or speculations welcomed.
Bookstore shelf-space, like the shelf-space at any major retailer holding any product, is purchased by the publisher of the product. Channel-stuffing, where publishers overwhelm shelf-space with product, is a common occurrence.
Major bookstores like Borders don't have "professional readers" that go, "Ooo, this sounds fun/good/liberal/conservative, we better stock this."
Well, they do, to a certain extent, but they don't hold sway over everything in the store. Marketing is the primary driver.
So, if you see lots of "conservative" books, it's because someone, or a combination of someones, thought it would sell, or wanted it to sell, and worked to ensure it would be placed prominently where you could see it.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:43 PM on May 31, 2010 [7 favorites]
Major bookstores like Borders don't have "professional readers" that go, "Ooo, this sounds fun/good/liberal/conservative, we better stock this."
Well, they do, to a certain extent, but they don't hold sway over everything in the store. Marketing is the primary driver.
So, if you see lots of "conservative" books, it's because someone, or a combination of someones, thought it would sell, or wanted it to sell, and worked to ensure it would be placed prominently where you could see it.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 5:43 PM on May 31, 2010 [7 favorites]
I think it's partly what chengjih said, but it's partly that there are more conservative celebrity pundits. When O'Reilly or Rush or Michael Savage recommends a book, a lot of people hear the recommendation and buy the book. It's not that different from the Oprah effect. There aren't really similar liberal celebrity commentators, so lots of liberals aren't all buying the same books at the same time.
posted by craichead at 5:44 PM on May 31, 2010
posted by craichead at 5:44 PM on May 31, 2010
Here's Amazon's list of current bestsellers in political nonfiction. Was your Borders's selection substantially more right-leaning than this? I think that people are just writing and/or buying a lot of conservative books these days.
As for the reason, I'd say chengjih is probably on the right track. When your party is in power, a lot of your big thinkers are working in government. When they're out of power, they write books.
posted by decathecting at 5:45 PM on May 31, 2010
As for the reason, I'd say chengjih is probably on the right track. When your party is in power, a lot of your big thinkers are working in government. When they're out of power, they write books.
posted by decathecting at 5:45 PM on May 31, 2010
Some conservative books (and other books) make it onto the best seller list by mass purchases by book groups or sometimes even shadier means like buying large swaths in order to gift them to donors or the like. Additionally there may be some demographic reasons, liberals might purchase more books online (I have no evidence for this, just a possibility). Finally, whoever is in charge of stacking the books at Borders, or somewhere up the chain this decision could have been made.
posted by haveanicesummer at 5:45 PM on May 31, 2010
posted by haveanicesummer at 5:45 PM on May 31, 2010
Theories:
1. It might have to do with the desire of conservatives vs. liberals to read -- and write -- a single manifesto that says, "This is the clear set of principles and positions that we must believe in." The existence of a nonfiction book implies that there's an authority who can tell you what's wrong and right, and maybe this appeals more to conservatives (though the tendency certainly exists on both sides).
2. The party out of power craves a direction and a voice. Democrats have an obvious leader and voice right now: the president (and cabinet officials). Among Republicans, you have Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee and Glenn Beck and lots of others vigorously competing to be THE conservative.
3. You might feel your area is "very liberal," but is it really? If you're referring to Pennsylvania, you're in a swing state -- it's no surprise if there are lots of Republicans and right-leaning independents around you who go to Borders looking for conservative books. If your expectation is for Borders customers to be overwhelmingly liberal (possibly also supported by your view of liberals as more intellectual?), the conservative books might jump out at you more since you perceive them as incongruous.
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:45 PM on May 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
1. It might have to do with the desire of conservatives vs. liberals to read -- and write -- a single manifesto that says, "This is the clear set of principles and positions that we must believe in." The existence of a nonfiction book implies that there's an authority who can tell you what's wrong and right, and maybe this appeals more to conservatives (though the tendency certainly exists on both sides).
2. The party out of power craves a direction and a voice. Democrats have an obvious leader and voice right now: the president (and cabinet officials). Among Republicans, you have Sarah Palin and Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee and Glenn Beck and lots of others vigorously competing to be THE conservative.
3. You might feel your area is "very liberal," but is it really? If you're referring to Pennsylvania, you're in a swing state -- it's no surprise if there are lots of Republicans and right-leaning independents around you who go to Borders looking for conservative books. If your expectation is for Borders customers to be overwhelmingly liberal (possibly also supported by your view of liberals as more intellectual?), the conservative books might jump out at you more since you perceive them as incongruous.
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:45 PM on May 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Good question.
Not sure the answer, but fwiw here's an anecdotal observation:
during the eight-year-long reign of George Bush, it seemed that books by certain well-known liberals or progressives (such as Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky, Al Franken, Al Gore, Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, Cornel West, Naomi Wolf, Paul Krugman, Michael Moore, etc) sold well. There's even a progressive book club that started (I think) towards the end of the Bush years. But it may be that now that Obama is in office, the pendulum has swung somewhat the other way, and the familiar right-wing names (Coulter, Beck, Limbaugh, etc.) are getting even more attention. But ultimately I'm not sure.
posted by HP LaserJet P10006 at 5:47 PM on May 31, 2010
Not sure the answer, but fwiw here's an anecdotal observation:
during the eight-year-long reign of George Bush, it seemed that books by certain well-known liberals or progressives (such as Naomi Klein, Noam Chomsky, Al Franken, Al Gore, Bill Maher, Jon Stewart, Cornel West, Naomi Wolf, Paul Krugman, Michael Moore, etc) sold well. There's even a progressive book club that started (I think) towards the end of the Bush years. But it may be that now that Obama is in office, the pendulum has swung somewhat the other way, and the familiar right-wing names (Coulter, Beck, Limbaugh, etc.) are getting even more attention. But ultimately I'm not sure.
posted by HP LaserJet P10006 at 5:47 PM on May 31, 2010
Related to my point #1 above, I should note that it is surely very common for books about politics to be purchased (or given as gifts) as mere decorations that signal one's identity. They are often simply not read. Again, this happens all over the political spectrum, but conservatives these days may be especially in need of an object that tells the world: "This is my political identity!" (and maybe I'll get around to reading it one of these days).
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:49 PM on May 31, 2010
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:49 PM on May 31, 2010
I guess I expect there to be a fair balance of both sides at a bookstore
Why on earth would you expect this?
posted by proj at 5:49 PM on May 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
Why on earth would you expect this?
posted by proj at 5:49 PM on May 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
I wonder if this could just be a case of you noticing the conservative titles more; particularly if you're of a liberal persuasion yourself, right-leaning titles will naturally stand out as more outrageous and attention-grabbing. I certainly haven't noticed anything resembling the phenomenon you're describing
posted by yersinia at 6:00 PM on May 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
posted by yersinia at 6:00 PM on May 31, 2010 [2 favorites]
Another possible explanation is that conservatives tend to be older and thus more likely to focus on dead tree media while liberals are more internet based.
posted by overhauser at 6:00 PM on May 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by overhauser at 6:00 PM on May 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
I notices this some years ago, when the republacan't had all the power, long before Obama became president, and that was at Borders and B&Ns in Rockville, Md and in DC (liberal area) too. So it doesn't just have to do with who is out of power and who is in, nor with the area.
I think that what the huge stores buy is dependent of the profitability over all, and not in the area, so what you find in blue v. red states doesn't really differ.
Also, many - look at who writes these things - of the rightwing things are written by media stars. They aren't really dependent on readability or pertinence or anything else for a profit, just name, no one is expected to read them, just display them. The publisher usually have other sources of income too and the books or underwritten to give the stores the incentives to display them. -- Bulk sales make up a lot of the total sales, but the right isn't the only side guilty of that ploy.
I don't know if the owners of B&N and Boarders are wingnuts, but I wouldn't be surprise if they were a bit that way, but I'm sure that it's profits first, total sales second, and ideology third. (Barns & Nobel always seemed a little better, but they have huge sections of "Christion fiction",l which wouldn't bug me so much if it wasn't next to philosophy.
posted by Some1 at 6:08 PM on May 31, 2010
I think that what the huge stores buy is dependent of the profitability over all, and not in the area, so what you find in blue v. red states doesn't really differ.
Also, many - look at who writes these things - of the rightwing things are written by media stars. They aren't really dependent on readability or pertinence or anything else for a profit, just name, no one is expected to read them, just display them. The publisher usually have other sources of income too and the books or underwritten to give the stores the incentives to display them. -- Bulk sales make up a lot of the total sales, but the right isn't the only side guilty of that ploy.
I don't know if the owners of B&N and Boarders are wingnuts, but I wouldn't be surprise if they were a bit that way, but I'm sure that it's profits first, total sales second, and ideology third. (Barns & Nobel always seemed a little better, but they have huge sections of "Christion fiction",l which wouldn't bug me so much if it wasn't next to philosophy.
posted by Some1 at 6:08 PM on May 31, 2010
Outrage sells. The rhetoric of aggrievement sells.
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 6:11 PM on May 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Emperor SnooKloze at 6:11 PM on May 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
Ralph got the Palin book for Christmas. I never have bothered to read it. We also have a ton of books by other conservatives in the house. The only ones I consider readable in the least are by Peggy Noonan.
If you hit the used bookstores you can find anything your heart desires by any of these pundits. In mass quantities. So I'm guessing these books get bought for gifts, or are bought in the spur of the moment, and then get "recycled."
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:31 PM on May 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
If you hit the used bookstores you can find anything your heart desires by any of these pundits. In mass quantities. So I'm guessing these books get bought for gifts, or are bought in the spur of the moment, and then get "recycled."
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 6:31 PM on May 31, 2010 [1 favorite]
I've noticed this at Borders also - and at least ten years ago, quite pre-Obama. It's usually that front table that seems over-stocked with right-wing screeds, rather than the actual best-seller lists.
Maybe Conservatives just enjoy books like this more? I don't think I've ever bought, read, or been tempted by a comparable liberal/progressive polemic.
posted by kanewai at 6:33 PM on May 31, 2010
Maybe Conservatives just enjoy books like this more? I don't think I've ever bought, read, or been tempted by a comparable liberal/progressive polemic.
posted by kanewai at 6:33 PM on May 31, 2010
a combination of a few things, most already discussed.
liberal in power = conservatism sells
the right wing pundits are more visible than the left wing - and more backed by corporate interests
some of the media star right wing have been caught buying up huge lots of their own books
confirmation bias
a few other things:
it seems like the left tends to consume a lot more right media than the right does of the left. they seem to sell more to people that love and hate them.
a good number of liberal leaning books are written by comedians so they're filed as humor, not non fiction - this seems especially true in the bigger book stores.
posted by nadawi at 6:35 PM on May 31, 2010
liberal in power = conservatism sells
the right wing pundits are more visible than the left wing - and more backed by corporate interests
some of the media star right wing have been caught buying up huge lots of their own books
confirmation bias
a few other things:
it seems like the left tends to consume a lot more right media than the right does of the left. they seem to sell more to people that love and hate them.
a good number of liberal leaning books are written by comedians so they're filed as humor, not non fiction - this seems especially true in the bigger book stores.
posted by nadawi at 6:35 PM on May 31, 2010
Like others are saying, its the conservative titles that move. Check out a the total sales for 2009 here. Its not even close: here are the top ten, sales in parenthesis where available:
posted by shothotbot at 6:42 PM on May 31, 2010
1. Going Rogue: An American Life. Sarah Palin. Harper (2,674,684).I sort of tried to craft a front page post about this but it just came out to - conservatives outsell liberals five to one, WTF?
2. Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment. Steve Harvey. Harper (1,735,219).
3. *Arguing with Idiots: How to Stop Small Minds and Big Government. Glenn Beck. Threshold.
4. *Liberty & Tyranny: A Conservative Manifesto. Mark R. Levin.
5. True Compass: A Memoir. Edward M. Kennedy. Grand Central (870,402).
6. Have a Little Faith: A True Story. Mitch Albom. Hyperion (855,843).
7. *It's Your Time: Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your Dreams, and Increase in God's Favor. Joel Osteen. Free Press.
8. The Last Lecture. Randy Pausch with Jeffrey Zaslow. Hyperion (610,033).
9. Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books Not Bombs. Greg Mortenson. Viking (515,566).
10. Superfreakonomics. Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. William Morrow (487,977).
posted by shothotbot at 6:42 PM on May 31, 2010
It may also have something to do with these authors gaming the system to get themselves on bestseller lists.
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 6:44 PM on May 31, 2010
posted by qxntpqbbbqxl at 6:44 PM on May 31, 2010
It's not just conservative politics, it's religion too. At a U.S. chain called Books-a-Million religious books are shelved in two categories: Religion and Philosophy. Everything in the Religion section is Christian, and every book from every other religion is shelved in Philosophy. The Dalai Lama & Thich Nhat Hanh's books, the Bhagavad Gita, the Koran, even Jewish books (not counting the Old Testament, of course) ... all are "philosophy." I have written the company about it but gotten no response. I am the last person to get GRARish about religion --- I'm all about the kumbaya potential of diverse religious beliefs/nonbeliefs --- but GRAR.
posted by headnsouth at 7:40 PM on May 31, 2010
posted by headnsouth at 7:40 PM on May 31, 2010
Response by poster: Fantastic responses. My girlfriend pointed out that in conservative circles, followers of that ideology are more likely to 'do as told' and as the party says, where as people of a more progressive persuasion discuss and explore issues. In other words, if the conservative media is screaming that 'Liberty & Tyranny' is the best book to buy, there's that demographic that will buy it no matter what. Progressives will consume their information online more, and less often in a book.
I also agree that some of these sales are progressive / liberal individuals that are exploring what these outrageous books are all about. I was tempted (but saved my money) to buy Going Rogue to see if there was anything of importance in it. I ended up reading books about Alexander the Great instead (sidebar: Mary Renault's historical novels are really good).
There's quite a bit of truth in everyone's thoughts here. I'm pleased with the good discussion on my first 'Ask Metafilter' post.
posted by glaucon at 7:42 PM on May 31, 2010
I also agree that some of these sales are progressive / liberal individuals that are exploring what these outrageous books are all about. I was tempted (but saved my money) to buy Going Rogue to see if there was anything of importance in it. I ended up reading books about Alexander the Great instead (sidebar: Mary Renault's historical novels are really good).
There's quite a bit of truth in everyone's thoughts here. I'm pleased with the good discussion on my first 'Ask Metafilter' post.
posted by glaucon at 7:42 PM on May 31, 2010
If this is a recent thing, you might want to also realize that we're approaching the mid-term election period and conservative authors/politicians/proponents are, being the party in minority, more likely to try to saturate the system with their views in an attempt to define themselves.
posted by mikeh at 8:01 PM on May 31, 2010
posted by mikeh at 8:01 PM on May 31, 2010
I've noticed that there's a contingent of conservatives who're interested in the echo chamber, and these books serve that purpose. They seek out conversation and media which reinforces their world view, looking for people who agree with them, tell them they're right. While there are liberals who also do the same, they're a far smaller group. This would be why Air America never took off. Liberals also tend to have less disposable income and less free time.
I don't think this is a new phenomenon in the least; conservative pundits' books have consistently sold better than their liberal corollaries. It's less about today's political climate and more about the differences between the two world views and the people who hold them.
posted by incessant at 8:11 PM on May 31, 2010
I don't think this is a new phenomenon in the least; conservative pundits' books have consistently sold better than their liberal corollaries. It's less about today's political climate and more about the differences between the two world views and the people who hold them.
posted by incessant at 8:11 PM on May 31, 2010
I wonder if it has to do with the tight connection between the far right and the Christian Evangelical movement...a religion that likes to proselytize is going to write a lot of books and promote them heavily.
posted by radioamy at 8:14 PM on May 31, 2010
posted by radioamy at 8:14 PM on May 31, 2010
Conservatives have their own presses.
I can't think of a liberal equivalent to the above, but there might be one. The sheer volume of low-quality right-wing garbage is astonishing, but it sells, and it gets shelf space.
posted by klanawa at 8:56 PM on May 31, 2010
I can't think of a liberal equivalent to the above, but there might be one. The sheer volume of low-quality right-wing garbage is astonishing, but it sells, and it gets shelf space.
posted by klanawa at 8:56 PM on May 31, 2010
New books are expensive. Conservatives tend to be richer than liberals.
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 11:04 PM on May 31, 2010
posted by l33tpolicywonk at 11:04 PM on May 31, 2010
Not sure I agree with you there, l33t, unless you were trying to be funny. Also, how expensive are new books? You make it sound like they are hundreds of dollars.
To go to both extremes, there are the old white man conservatives (rich), then you have the southern redneck bible thumping conservatives (poor). For liberals, you have the New England old-money liberals (rich), and the poor student/artist/creative type (poor).
I know this is the very simplified version, but there are rich and poor people on both sides. I wouldn't say one is "richer" than the other as a whole.
Perhaps there are more conservative books because they are selling better than liberal books. Just as there are far more conservative radio talk shows. It's just what sells. Nothing to do with fair and balanced. Radio stations are in the business of selling advertisements, and bookstores sell books. No reason to believe either has a motive in pushing one over the other.
posted by santaliqueur at 11:34 PM on May 31, 2010
To go to both extremes, there are the old white man conservatives (rich), then you have the southern redneck bible thumping conservatives (poor). For liberals, you have the New England old-money liberals (rich), and the poor student/artist/creative type (poor).
I know this is the very simplified version, but there are rich and poor people on both sides. I wouldn't say one is "richer" than the other as a whole.
Perhaps there are more conservative books because they are selling better than liberal books. Just as there are far more conservative radio talk shows. It's just what sells. Nothing to do with fair and balanced. Radio stations are in the business of selling advertisements, and bookstores sell books. No reason to believe either has a motive in pushing one over the other.
posted by santaliqueur at 11:34 PM on May 31, 2010
Best answer: You're only looking at the overtly political books. Inherently liberal fiction outnumbers inherently conservative fiction by a large majority. Science books, pretty much by definition, are biased against typical conservative world-views, even if they are not necessarily inherently liberal themselves. Outside of a very narrow time band from the present day back a few generations (probably skewed back to 1750 or so in the USA due to conservatives making shibboleths of the US founding and Constitution; compare and contrast historical treatments of the British Empire), history tends to be dominated by liberal views.
Many of the books of art are liberal, because conservative art is (again pretty much by definition) unconfronting. You may be prepared to classify pretty landscapes, travel calendars, cat pictures etc as conservative art; I wouldn't, but the argument is reasonable.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 11:49 PM on May 31, 2010
Many of the books of art are liberal, because conservative art is (again pretty much by definition) unconfronting. You may be prepared to classify pretty landscapes, travel calendars, cat pictures etc as conservative art; I wouldn't, but the argument is reasonable.
posted by aeschenkarnos at 11:49 PM on May 31, 2010
Following up on what St. Alia said, with a related anecdote:
Several of the more conservative members of my family have copies of Going Rogue, and the like. But these books are going unread. For the most part, that's because they were given as gifts or picked up as impulsive purchases. Still, I once overheard one of my relatives declare, "It doesn't matter if we even read these books, as long as we're giving our support to these people by buying them".
posted by Coatlicue at 5:13 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Several of the more conservative members of my family have copies of Going Rogue, and the like. But these books are going unread. For the most part, that's because they were given as gifts or picked up as impulsive purchases. Still, I once overheard one of my relatives declare, "It doesn't matter if we even read these books, as long as we're giving our support to these people by buying them".
posted by Coatlicue at 5:13 AM on June 1, 2010 [1 favorite]
Do people have any evidence for the assertion that conservatives are wealthier than liberals, or are you just assuming? It contradicts what I've generally heard about the United States.
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:50 AM on June 1, 2010
posted by Jaltcoh at 5:50 AM on June 1, 2010
This is parallel to the argument you hear from Fox News hosts & guests: "Fox News is the highest-rated cable news program, which shows you how popular our thinking is." On the other hand, you hear them talk about the vast liberal stranglehold on all other media.
Does this make sense, if true? By their own self-satisfied ranting, right-wingers have Fox News and AM talk radio. Liberals have, let's see, nearly all: film, books, universities, tv shows, newspapers, comic books, and the profession of medicine at every level.
posted by Philemon at 7:08 AM on June 1, 2010
Does this make sense, if true? By their own self-satisfied ranting, right-wingers have Fox News and AM talk radio. Liberals have, let's see, nearly all: film, books, universities, tv shows, newspapers, comic books, and the profession of medicine at every level.
posted by Philemon at 7:08 AM on June 1, 2010
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