Books about President Donald Trump are fueling a record year for political books, with sales up nearly 100% from 2019.
According to The Wall Street Journal, political book sales increased 85% this year through September, while political e-book sales were up 20%. Many of the books are about Trump, his administration, his inner circle, and how he governs.
“2020 is on track to be the biggest year for political books since we began tracking U.S. book sales in 2004,” NPD BookScan’s Kristen McLean told the Journal.
The sales figures are expected to surge again next month when former President Barack Obama releases the first volume of his memoir. The Journal noted that the first run includes 3 million hardcover copies.
As of Monday morning, the top 20 political books being sold on Amazon include Bob Woodward’s “Rage” (No. 4), Dan Bongino’s “Follow the Money: The Shocking Deep State Connections of the Anti-Trump Cabal” (No. 5), and Michael Cohen’s “Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump” (No. 16).
The Journal reported that overall book sales are up 6% (print) and 7.6% (e-books) this year, despite the fact that many stores were closed for weeks, if not months, because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The challenges America is grappling with continue post election regardless of the election outcome,” Penguin Random House’s David Drake told the Journal.
