Do the profits that the publishing industry make from publishing controversial authors outweigh the backlash they may receive?
Siena O’Kelly
Publishing books written by well-known figures has been an ongoing trend in the industry for many years. Neavill states that ‘at every stage of dissemination, the publisher’s decisions and actions are based on his conception of the audience and how he thinks it will behave.’ This statement may be dated, but the sentiment remains relevant. Books penned by notable people promise a predetermined audience, meaning that substantial profit is a reasonable expectation for the publisher. Additionally, audiences are provided with books that they are eager to read, allowing publishers ‘to cut through the noise and get people truly excited about new stories and ideas’.
While publishing books written by people with celebrity status may seem like a wise decision for those in the industry, this trend becomes more complex when these authors are also sources of controversy. In the case of this report, a controversial celebrity author is a public figure who is not best known for being an author, and whose opinions or actions have made them a source of public debate or scrutiny (think Twitter cancellations and newspaper exposés). These books may promise significant financial returns, but their publication can induce complaints and boycotts from the wider public, as well as other industry professionals. This conflict raises the question of whether the profits that are made from publishing these authors outweigh the backlash that publishers may receive.
This report explores if a public figure’s morals or past behaviours should impact a publisher’s decision to work with them. It examines how the industry is benefitting from controversial book sales, in contrast with the negative repercussions associated with the publications. It aims to conclude whether profit is ultimately more valuable than public reputation.
This report draws upon past cases where publishers have chosen to—or have chosen not to—collaborate with publicly controversial figures and the overall impact that said decision had on the involved publisher. It additionally looks to analyse the general public’s thoughts on reading and buying these books through survey results.
The profit of profile
In order for publishing houses to remain in business, profit is paramount. Germano, former editor-in-chief of Columbia University Press, states that ‘the industry’s trends are toward signing up only books that will be very profitable, and very profitable right away’ as money is essential to ensure these businesses can continue to function. A reliable way to secure income is to publish books written by people with celebrity status. Woll states that ‘publishers can print hundreds of thousands of copies of a celebrity’s books. They gain visibility in the marketplace and … by publishing such books, margins increase.’
Many of the historically most profitable books have been penned by well-known figures. In 2017, Barack and Michelle Obama received a combined deal at Penguin Random House worth approximately $65 million US, with Milliot, Deahl and Hoch stating that ‘the advance is, if not the largest on record for two standalone works, certainly the largest in recent memory.’ This example is not an outlier; Nielson BookScan reported that in 2019, the top five celebrity writers for children sold 4.02 million books (O’Brien cited in MSC Publishing 2021).
This potential profit does mean that celebrity authors are generally paid more than lesser-known authors. Greco, Milliot and Wharton (2013:190) state that ‘by 2012, advances in the $10,000.00–$80,000.00 [US] range for first-time writers were reported, with the majority of these advances well below the $50,000.00 mark. However, if the author is a celebrity … the sky is the limit.’ While this pay disparity is condemnable, some argue that these publications also benefit smaller authors, as ‘the revenues and profits derived from selling such books support much of the company’s remaining publishing ventures’. In the contemporary publishing landscape, books written by popular figures appear indispensable.
Why should controversial authors be published?
It is evident that the money which can be made from well-known people incentivises publishers to acquire their books, even when the authors are controversial. For some publishers, the public perception of these authors is irrelevant. After publishing organised crime boss Joseph Bonanno’s memoir, editor Michael Korda wrote that ‘if a book is interesting, we should publish it … I don't think it's up to us to make a moral judgment’. While this example is dated, it is demonstrative of a trend that continues to permeate the industry.
Most publishers will not explicitly label financial gain as a reason to publish such books. Rather, some industry professionals argue that these books should be published so that different views are given equal access to the publishing ecosystem. Following a staff petition to have former US Vice President Mike Pence’s memoir cancelled, Simon & Schuster President Johnathan Karp argued that ‘we come to work each day to publish, not cancel, which is the most extreme decision a publisher can make, and one that runs counter to the very core of our mission to publish a diversity of voices and perspectives’.
After conservative internet personality Milo Yiannoplous was given a $250,000 US contract to write a book for Simon & Schuster, writer and editor Amanda Katz stated ‘I just think there are lots of reprehensible sentiments coming out from mainstream publishers all the time. As a former book editor myself, I wouldn’t have wanted to be the one paying that advance or (even worse) promoting Yiannopoulos and his views. But I get that a conservative imprint—one that finds these views to be somewhat sympathetic or at least provocative—might find them worth publishing’
It is clear that some in the industry believe that publishing diverse voices is a service that the industry should fundamentally be providing the public.
Why should controversial authors not be published?
Conversely, others in the industry believe that publishing morally ambiguous authors is ethically concerning. Brabazon states that ‘if a person has a thought and wishes to express it, then that is a choice they can make. However, if slander or defamation follows, there will be consequences.’ While Karp defended Simon & Schuster’s decision to publish Pence’s book, employees of the publishing house protested this action. Approximately 14% of their staff and 3500 people outside of the company signed a petition demanding that the book be cancelled. The petition stated that ‘when S&S chose to sign Mike Pence, we broke the public’s trust in our editorial process, and blatantly contradicted previous public claims in support of Black and other lives made vulnerable by structural oppression’.
This notion of a publisher’s duty to honour the public’s trust is not a new concept. A questionnaire about book publishing conducted in 1981 found that respondents ‘ask(ed) for further investigation into book publishing’s awareness of its social responsibility’.
Where members of the public have believed that publishers have disregarded this responsibility, backlash has followed. Sphere Books published JK Rowling’s novel Troubled Blood in 2020, prompting #RIPJKROWLING to trend on Twitter (now known as X) and calls on social media to boycott the publisher.
Evidently, some in the publishing industry and wider society believe that they have an ethical responsibility to consider the morals of the authors they are supporting.
Case Studies
Hachette US and Woody Allen
In 2020, Hachette US acquired Woody Allen’s autobiography Apropos of Nothing. Allen has been a source of debate for many years, having been accused of sexually assaulting his daughter when she was a child. Allen maintains his innocence and has not been charged. As a result of the acquisition, approximately 100 Hachette employees walked off their jobs in protest. These employees met with the company’s chief executive Michael Pietsch and demanded the cancellation of the book, a public apology from the company, and that Hachette assure their employees that they were able to protest books they disagree with without punishment from the company.
Following the protest, Hachette cancelled their plans to publish the book. Hachette stated ‘the decision to cancel Mr. Allen's book was a difficult one. At HBG we take our relationships with authors very seriously, and do not cancel books lightly. We have published and will continue to publish many challenging books’. This statement suggests that Hachette did see value in the publication, but the actions of its employees were too significant to ignore. As Anderson emphasises, there is immense influence in ‘a high-value workforce at one of the Big Five publishing houses …[feeling]... empowered to take their disagreements with management into the public square.’
The cancellation of Allen’s book meant that Hachette lost a large amount of money that they would have made if the publication occurred. According to NPD BookScan, a previous book by Allen published by Penguin Random House sold more than 40,000 print copies. Apropos of Nothing was eventually published by Arcade Publishing, with their website marketing the book as ‘a New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, and Publisher’s Weekly Bestseller’. The book was controversial, but it still sold very well.
While Hachette’s decision resulted in a financial loss for the company, the cancellation of the memoir was significant in satisfying those who spoke out against it. Allen’s son Ronan Farrow’s statement highlighting his disappointment in Hachette’s initial acquisition of the book received over 65,000 likes on Twitter, highlighting the level of backlash that Hachette received. Perhaps most significantly, Hachette acted on the grievances of its employees. While it’s difficult to measure the monetary loss of this cancellation, Hachette in return was able to meet the demands of its employees and act to remedy the outcry of the public.
Penguin Random House Canada and Jordan Peterson
In 2020, Penguin Random House Canada acquired Jordan Peterson’s book, Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life. Peterson is an academic and right-wing media personality, known for his conservative views on politics and culture. In response to the acquisition, several employees protested the publication of the book. One anonymous employee stated that ‘he (Peterson) is an icon of hate speech and transphobia and the fact that he’s an icon of white supremacy, regardless of the content of his book, I’m not proud to work for a company that publishes him’.
Despite a company meeting and numerous complaints from employees, Penguin Random House decided to proceed with the publication. The publisher stated, ‘we are open to hearing our employees’ feedback and answering all of their questions. We remain committed to publishing a range of voices and viewpoints’.
Peterson’s prolific reputation meant that his book would sell significantly. Penguin Random House had previously published another of Peterson’s books—12 Rules for Life—which the publisher states ‘has sold over five million copies worldwide and his global book tour has reached more than 250,000 people in 100 different cities’. In 2018, Peterson was the world’s most read Canadian author as per a National Post article. Penguin Random House has indisputably made a large profit from working with Peterson.
While Penguin Random House’s publication of Peterson received praise from some members of the public, the company was subject to retaliation from others. The Guardian editor Nathan Robinson wrote in a widely circulated article that ‘the things he (Peterson) says are often false, prejudiced, and dangerous. What possible obligation does a publisher have to publish the ravings of bigots?’
As well as facing some public anger, Penguin Random House was not able to satisfy the demands of its employees to cancel the book. However, they were able to secure the monetary benefits that came with working alongside such a well-read author.
Pan Macmillan Australian and Pete Evans
Australian celebrity chef Pete Evans faced intense scrutiny in 2020 after he posted a cartoon to his social media platforms that included a Neo-Nazi symbol. Known for his unique interpretations of healthy cooking, Evans made a niche for himself in the cookbook genre. He had a very successful relationship with Pan Macmillan Australia, having published more than a dozen books.
One day after Evans’ social media post, Pan Macmillan terminated their relationship and condemned the chef’s actions. The publisher stated that ‘those views are not our views as a company or the views of our staff’. As well as immediately terminating Evans’ contract, Pan Macmillan made the bold decision to allow booksellers to return any books written by Evans—with Dymocks being one of the retailers to publicly act upon this.
The longstanding relationship between Evans and Pan Macmillan suggests that Evans was a profitable author for the publisher. His author biography on Amazon describes him as the ‘#1 selling Australian wholefood author for the past three years,’ highlighting the popularity of the author’s content.
While Pan Macmillan lost money, their decision to no longer publish Evans’ books soon after the incident occurred allowed the company to distance itself from the author, limiting the public outrage that was directed towards them. Evans was the target of intense backlash from the wider public, with one petition having over 6500 signatures demanding retailers no longer stock Evans’ cookbooks. By acting on the demands of the public immediately, Pan Macmillan was able to limit the retaliation that they received.
Will controversially-authored books stick around?
The decision to publish a book is largely dependent on whether audiences will read it. Publishers need to attract buyers in order to make a profit, meaning the role of the reader cannot be understated. This broaches the question of whether the trend of buying books by controversial figures will continue, and whether the public will persist in voicing their opposition to certain titles in the future.
To address this question, a survey was conducted. The respondents identified themselves as people currently residing in Australia who enjoy reading, meaning that the data reflects the Australian market. All respondents were between the ages of 18 and 30, a conscious choice to give an indication what the future of this trend may look like. There were 40 total respondents, hence the responses are indicative rather than certain. The first question asked respondents to what extent they agree with the statement, ‘I would buy a book written by an author whose morals I don’t agree with.’ The intention of this question was to determine whether young readers consider an author’s ethics when they are buying a book. It aimed to estimate whether the popularity of books written by controversial figures will likely increase or decrease in the future. 42.5 % of respondents disagreed with the statement, 10% strongly disagreed and 25% felt neutral. This finding highlights that a slim majority of young readers do consciously consider the morals of an author when they are looking to buy a book. Interestingly, only 22.5% of respondents agreed with the statement and no respondents strongly agreed, suggesting that there may be a decrease in the popularity of books penned by controversial people in the future.
The second question asked respondents to what extent they agree with the statement, ‘publishers should not publish books written by controversial authors.’ This question aimed to identify whether young readers believe that the publishing industry should be expected to consider an author’s divisive public perception before publishing their work. Those that disagreed with the statement comprise of 35%, while 12.5% strongly disagreed and 25% chose to agree. The remaining 27.5% felt neutral about the statement, This finding suggests that young readers are less inclined to believe that publishers have a duty to protect readers from controversial beliefs or opinions expressed in books. It indicates that young readers believe that these books should be available for the public to buy, even if they are not interested in purchasing them themselves.
The third question asked respondents to what extent they agree with the statement, ‘publishers should receive backlash for publishing books written by “problematic” people.’ This question intended to explore whether young readers believe that the industry should be publicly ridiculed for their decision to publish unethical material. Of the total responses, 42.5% agreed with the statement, 10% strongly agreed and 22.5% felt neutral. This finding indicates that young readers do think that publishers should be held accountable for the works they publish, even though they do not write the content. Concurrently, 22.5% of respondents disagreed with the statement and only 2.5% strongly disagreed, suggesting the contemporary trend of questioning a publisher’s decision to print ‘problematic’ books is likely to continue.
The final question asked respondents ‘are you more likely to buy/read a book that is written by an author you know of?’ This question intended to determine how much value there is in an author having a pre-existing audience. Not so surprisingly, 75% of respondents said that they are more likely to buy a book written by an author they know of, 17.5% said they might be more likely to and a mere 7.5% said that they are not more likely to. This finding implies that there is significant value in publishing a book that is written by someone who is well-known. When looked at from this perspective, the trend of publishing books penned by people with celebrity status is likely to continue in the future.
Recommendations
Determining whether profit outweighs backlash for the publishing houses behind these books is an ambiguous position to be in. Although, the findings of this report indicate that despite public protest, the financial benefits of these titles suggest that this trend is not going away. Thus, an arguably more fitting question to ask is how can publishers mindfully collaborate with controversial celebrity authors, should they decide to publish their work.
For publishers who will continue to produce these books, there are a few recommendations that could assist them in being more considerate of public opinion. Higher-ups could consult their employees before acquiring a book by a contentious figure to get a sense of whether employees will be disgruntled by this decision. Gauging employee opinion would also provide a realistic indication of what the public response to an author may be.
Publishers could additionally make more of an effort to highlight that they do not necessarily morally agree or disagree with all content they publish. If publishers want to be viewed as objective—regardless of the material the publish—they need to make this clearer to consumers. Their neutrality could be better communicated through notes in publications, statements on websites, and posts on social media.
Conclusion
The findings of this report present a complex response to the question of whether the profits that the industry makes from publishing controversial authors outweigh the backlash that they receive. Where publishers such as Hachette US and Pan Macmillan Australian have decided to cancel books due to backlash, they have avoided scandal and met the demands of the public, including their employees. Contrastingly, publishers like Penguin Random House Canada and Simon & Schuster US faced outcry from the public for publishing books by controversial figures, but the financial returns of these decisions were incredibly significant.
When looked at from the public’s perspective, the survey results suggest that even though most young readers would not buy these books, they would still prefer the books to be available for others to buy. That said, the survey results also indicate that the majority of young readers believe that the industry should continue to face scrutiny for publishing ‘problematic’ authors.
What remains certain is the fact that books written by controversial public figures appear to be a permanent fixture in modern publishing—and as long as they remain in print, the backlash will continue. Whether the profits of publishing these books outweigh public backlash ultimately seems to depend on the specific publisher’s priorities. Irrespective of their decision, publishers need to acknowledge the discontent rather than ignore it.
About the author
Siena O’Kelly (she/her) is currently studying a Master of Writing and Publishing at RMIT. After years of wanting to become a journalist, she now hopes to turn her longstanding passion for stories into an editing career in trade publishing. She is an avid reader, lover of house plants and dedicated dog mum.