Censorship Backfires: How Banning Books Actually Boosts Sales!

In March 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made an appearance, sharing the stage with an enlarged page from the charming picture book "Call Me Max" displayed on a poster board.

The captivating scene depicted a child peacefully lying on the grass, positioned on their stomach alongside a sleeping dog. With a thoughtful expression, the child gently rested their cheek upon their hand.

"When I was born, my mom and dad said, Its a girl!

When I looked in the mirror, I saw a girl. 

Kind of. 

But because Im transgender, I wanted to see a boy."

DeSantis displayed the page as an illustration of a book that was unsuitable "in any setting, particularly in the state of Florida."

Shortly afterward, he enacted Florida's "Parental Rights in Education" bill, more commonly referred to by its opponents as the "Don't Say Gay" bill. This legislation prohibited the teaching of sexuality and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade. (Earlier this year, the law was extended to encompass all public schools up to the 12th grade.)

The passage of the bill received widespread attention, angering parents who disagreed with censorship and motivating others to advocate for similar causes in their children's schools. Consequently, books like "Call Me Max" have faced challenges or been completely banned from schools and libraries not only in Florida but also in other states. While some argue that book bans actually lead to increased book sales, authors argue that these bans have a detrimental impact on their careers. Kyle Lukoff, the author of "Call Me Max" as well as the acclaimed book "Too Bright to See," among others, attests that the national publicity did not contribute to any significant improvement in the sales of "Max." Instead, it merely piqued the interest of individuals who seek to have the book removed from local educational and literary institutions.

"I've been told this numerous times - 'I wish my book would be banned because that's the ultimate strategy to land it on the best-seller list,'" expressed Lukoff during a phone interview. "Sadly, such a phenomenon has never occurred in my case."

Florida's "Parental Rights in Education" law has banned the inclusion of Kyle Lukoff's book "Call Me Max" in public schools across the state. This law restricts the teachings on sexuality and gender identity at all grade levels. Despite the ban, Lukoff has not observed a notable increase in book sales.

Lukoff has not received any royalties from "Call Me Max" or the other two books in the series, according to him. The advances he received for each book were $2,500, and he will only start earning royalties once they have earned back the advances.

Lukoff's experience, along with that of many other authors whose books were banned in the past school year, contradicts a commonly held belief among certain authors and anti-censorship advocates that book banning leads to increased sales.

Lukoff stressed that when books are banned, the short-term increase in sales for authors is overshadowed by the long-term detrimental impact on their careers. He pointed out that if a book is restricted from libraries and schools throughout entire states, it inevitably leads to a sustained decline in sales over time.

In agreement, Phil Bildner, a renowned children's book author and advocate for fellow writers, emphasized that having a book banned should not be seen as an accolade to be proud of.

"I still strongly believe that many individuals fail to fully comprehend the immense financial devastation inflicted upon queer authors and authors from marginalized communities during this era of book banning," expressed Bildner, the head of the Author Village, an organization advocating for authors and illustrators for school visits. "Moreover, it is disheartening to acknowledge that most individuals do not grasp the profound emotional toll this situation exacts on the authors who find themselves targeted."

The current book ban movement is bigger, faster and more pervasive

In the past, the list of books prohibited included well-known titles such as "The Catcher in the Rye," "To Kill a Mockingbird," and "The Bluest Eye," as well as newer popular books like "The Hate U Give" and "Thirteen Reasons Why."

However, there has been a significant rise in book bans in recent times. According to PEN America, an organization dedicated to defending the rights of writers, journalists, and other communicators under the First Amendment, a total of 3,300 books were banned during the 2022-2023 school year, reflecting a 33% increase compared to the previous year. PEN America's September study on school book bans revealed that these bans disproportionately targeted books that discuss race, racism, and include LGBTQ characters.

Groups such as Moms for Liberty and LaVerna in the Library, a branch of Utah Parents United, are actively involved in attempting to ban multiple books simultaneously. These groups meticulously compile comprehensive lists of books that they consider to contain objectionable material. Websites like Rated Books and BookLooks assess books based on their content and highlight potentially objectionable paragraphs on their platforms, often presenting entire pages out of context.

Notably, individual voices have significant influence in the banning of books. According to The Washington Post, 60% of book challenges during the 2021-2022 school year were initiated by only 11 individuals. Additionally, larger groups provide instructions to individuals on how to have books banned and what to express at school board meetings, which typically involve parents reading out "controversial" excerpts.

"When considering books and their potential for obscenity, it is crucial to analyze the entirety of the book," stated Tasslyn Magnusson, an insightful program consultant affiliated with Freedom to Read at PEN America. Magnusson diligently monitors banned books and collaborates with authors whose literary creations have been unjustly excluded from educational institutions and public libraries.

The MoveOn Banned Book Mobile stops for an event with local authors and teachers on October 1, 2023 in Decatur, Georgia.

Derek White/Getty Images

Magnusson cited examples of controversial books such as "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson, a novel that tackles the recovery process of a high school student who has been sexually assaulted, and "All Boys Aren't Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto" by George M. Johnson, which includes depictions of sexual assault. Although these books may include sexual content, explicit language, and disturbing scenes, Magnusson argues that their appropriateness is dependent on the context in which they are presented.

Deborah Caldwell-Stone, the director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom, affirms that parents have the right to select certain books for their children and avoid others. However, she emphasizes that it is not the prerogative of any individual or group of parents to dictate the availability of books for other families.

"Everyone (deserves) the freedom to find a wide range of ideas in a librarytheyre there to serve everyone in a community," she said.

Bans can boost sales, but they often dont

Several authors interviewed acknowledged that banning a book can have a significant impact on its sales. Angie Thomas, the author of "The Hate U Give," has specifically mentioned that whenever her book is banned in a school district, there is a significant surge in sales in that area.

This phenomenon was observed with "Maus," Art Spiegelman's Pulitzer Prize-winning graphic novel about the Holocaust. In January 2022, a Tennessee school board prohibited the book due to its inclusion of "inappropriate words" and a partially obscured image of a nude woman. However, this decision sparked a wave of protest purchases, resulting in a high demand for "Maus" that lasted for months. The book quickly rose to the top of Amazon's bestseller list, and BookScan, a publishing industry tool that tracks book sales nationwide, reported a 753% increase in sales for "Maus" between the first week of January and the last.

But according to authors, experiencing a significant increase in sales is uncommon, especially since hundreds of books are now being banned simultaneously. Magnusson remarked that it is difficult to understand why it sometimes succeeds, but that it is merely a coincidence and not a consistent trend. He further noted that the consistent pattern is that such bans have a detrimental effect on both current and future income.

According to Magnusson, libraries and schools make up a significant portion of children's literature sales. Lukoff added that if libraries in a state, especially in states with large school districts, choose not to purchase a book, it could essentially render that book out of print. CNN reached out to BookScan and the Association of American Publishers, who stated that they lack detailed data to shed light on the impact of book bans on subsequent sales.

When a group or parent sets out to censor a piece of literature, they often focus their efforts on both well-known books and works from independent presses or authors with less name recognition. Books by lesser-known authors, such as Juno Dawson's "This Book is Gay" or Mike Curato's "Flamer," are frequently grouped together with popular hits like "Speak" or John Green's "Looking for Alaska," both of which have been made into films. These lesser-known works may not be prominently displayed in a bookstore or library's banned books section, noted Samira Ahmed, an author who revealed that her 2019 book "Internment" has been "soft banned," meaning it was secretly removed from shelves by school staff without any formal challenge.

Author Samira Ahmed talks with Laura Gluckman during a book signing at Women & Children First bookstore on Sunday, Sept. 19 2021, in Chicago.

Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune/Getty Images

It's incredibly challenging for a book like "Maus" to achieve widespread popularity due to the overwhelming number of books that have been banned. In the previous school year, Florida alone witnessed over 1,400 instances of book bans, according to PEN America. Lukoff mentioned that attempting to gather support by purchasing all of these banned books would not be practical. Previously, when books were banned, it would generate public attention, leading individuals to defiantly purchase them in order to make a statement. However, Lukoff asserts that the current situation, where book banning has become a widespread movement, calls for a more sustainable response.

When books for young people dont sell well within school districts, theyre not likely to get a paperback release, Lukoff said. "Books just kind of disappear."

Author opportunities, from school visits to future books, can dry up

According to Magnusson, writing books for children is neither glamorous nor stable. The advance rates for picture books and middle-grade books are not widely known, but she has been told by other authors that their advances amount to a few thousand dollars, which is similar to Lukoff's advances for the "Max" series. Unfortunately, many of these advances have not been able to make a profit. Magnusson emphasizes that it is not a financially rewarding profession.

According to Magnusson, many authors who write for young people depend on school visits and other paid appearances at literary conferences or libraries to ensure a stable income, as publishing alone does not guarantee financial success. However, this school year has seen a decrease in such opportunities. Ahmed mentioned that her number of school visits has significantly reduced to just three, while Bildner noted that even queer authors he knows have experienced a decrease from their typical 20 to 30 visits to only three or four. Bildner specifically highlighted how these paid visits, especially for LGBTQ authors, have become almost non-existent.

Being banned can also negatively impact an author's future prospects. According to Caldwell-Stone, publishers may hesitate to purchase a manuscript from an author whose works have been labeled as "controversial." This can pose additional challenges for lesser-known authors, as Lukoff mentioned, especially without the support of a prominent publishing house or the recognition enjoyed by authors such as J.K. Rowling, Harper Lee, or Art Spiegelman.

"Everyone is aware of Maus," he commented. "It becomes significantly more challenging for individuals from marginalized communities, including queer, trans, or people of color, whose debut works have become entangled in such situations."

Moreover, Caldwell-Stone suggests that publishers might be less inclined to offer contracts to emerging authors whose chosen themes involve controversial subjects such as race, racism, or LGBTQ experiences.

Bans take an emotional toll on authors

The uncertainty surrounding the market for books on topics like racism and LGBTQ life may dissuade authors from pursuing their passion or compel them to focus on different subjects in order to sustain their livelihood, warned Torrey Maldonado, the author of "What Lane?"—a widely recognized resource for young people on the subject of antiracism. Maldonado lamented, "Some authors and illustrators consider abandoning their projects altogether or redirecting their creative energy elsewhere, fearing that these works may be censored. Such book banning jeopardizes the flame within individuals."

Magnusson stated that significant effort has been put into transforming publishing to better reflect the diversity of individuals. Unfortunately, these efforts have faced intense opposition. Additionally, authors themselves have become direct targets of parents who challenge these books at school boards. Ahmed revealed that she is acquainted with numerous authors who have experienced doxxing, threats, and offensive slurs from critics who question their literary creations.

A person looks at the free banned books during the MoveOn "Banned Bookmobile" Tour stop outside of Sandmeyer's Bookstore in the South Loop on July 13, 2023.

"People who choose to pursue a career in writing for young people invest a significant amount of time contemplating their target audience and what they themselves did not have access to as young individuals," Magnusson expressed. "Authors of children's literature in particular dedicate ample time to tapping into their inner child. Therefore, being labeled as pedophiles or sexual deviants and receiving hate mail has a deep psychological and emotional impact on them."

Ahmed expressed disappointment to see her work labeled as profane or obscene, especially since she writes specifically for a young audience.

Furthermore, it is also tiring for authors who never intended to consistently battle book bans. Lukoff shared that his first major encounters with book bans took place in early 2021, beginning in Austin and Salt Lake City, when the occurrence of book bans started to increase. He added that the frequency of bans has only worsened over time, and it has begun to shape his body of work.

"It is so unrelenting," he said. "Im not surprised that my books have been banned; Im surprised this has become a much larger, inescapable political movement."

Book bans hurt readers and authors

Maldonado observed that book bans have been used throughout history as a means of exerting political control and suppressing specific voices and perspectives. This is especially evident when it comes to silencing individuals of color or those who identify as LGBTQ.

Ahmed pointed out that book bans not only target specific works but also have a personal impact on the authors themselves and their identities. This erasure of identities from literature shelves is a deliberate campaign fueled by fear and hatred, disguised as protecting parental rights.

According to Magnusson, the response to book bans could potentially hinder publishers in their efforts to promote inclusive literature.

"The progress we've made in making publishing more diverse and reflective of people's identities has been heavily undermined by these attacks," Magnusson explained.

Ahmed stated that ultimately, the ones who suffer the most from book bans are both children who may never have the opportunity to read these works in their schools or local libraries and the authors who specifically write for children. She pointed out that numerous challenges have taken place throughout America, indicating that young individuals are being deprived of the chance to access and experience these books.