More Books are Being Published by Women Authors Than Men

Women authors are publishing more books than men. In the 1970s, fewer than 1 in 5 new books in the US were written by women. By 2020, more than half were, and by 2021, women-authored books were outselling those by men, too. That’s according to a study by University of Minnesota economist Joel Waldfogel. This trend isn’t confined to the US, either. Women make up 60% of UK authors and 62% of authors in Canada. Waldfogel says that isn’t the whole story. The publishing industry is growing fast. In 2021, the US book publishing sector generated $29.3 billion, with a 12.3% increase over the previous year. Rather than replacing male authors, women authors are taking a large share of these higher sales. Watch the video to learn more about how women authors are leading the charge.