Will Trump's Return to the White House Ignite a New Wave of Bestselling Political Books?

Updated: Tuesday, November 26, 2024, 23:09 [IST]

Mary Trump, anticipating her uncle's return to the White House, doubts future books will match the success of earlier tell-alls like Michael Wolff's "Fire and Fury" or her own "Too Much and Never Enough." She believes the public already knows much about Donald Trump. "What else is there to learn?" she asks. "And for people who don't know, the books have been written. It's all really out in the open now."

Trumps Return and Bestselling Books — Representative image

Political Book Sales Surge

During Donald Trump's presidency, political book sales soared, partly due to his legal threats and controversial tweets. Circana reports that sales nearly doubled from 2015 to 2020, rising from around 5 million to 10 million copies. Bestsellers included James Comey's "A Higher Loyalty," John Bolton's "The Room Where It Happened," and Bob Woodward's "Fear." However, interest has waned since Trump left office.

Publishers are sceptical about reaching previous sales peaks again. Readers show little interest in books about President Joe Biden and his family, and even Trump-related releases have lost some appeal. Mary Trump's "Who Could Ever Love You" and Woodward's "War" were popular this autumn but didn't match their earlier successes.

Conservative Books Maintain Steady Sales

Books appealing to pro-Trump readers also saw a rise in popularity. Titles by Cabinet picks like Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "The Real Anthony Fauci" and Pete Hegseth's "The War on Warriors" gained traction. Melania Trump's memoir, "Melania," released in October, has sold over 200,000 copies according to Circana, excluding sales from her website.

Barnes & Noble CEO James Daunt noted its unexpected success: "The Melania book has done extraordinarily well, better than we thought." Conservative books have consistently sold well, with publishers like Hachette Book Group having imprints dedicated to this audience.

Future of Trump-Related Publications

The potential for new Trump-related books remains uncertain. A new insider might write a memoir after a fallout with Trump, similar to Bolton or former attorney Michael Cohen. Investigative works could emerge if Trump's initiatives lead to significant actions. A sequel to "Fire and Fury" seems unlikely as Wolff had unique access during Trump's first term.

Wolff's access allowed him months around Trump and his staff. The president-elect's team has already stated they won't engage with Wolff, labelling him a "known peddler of fake news." Wolff's publicist declined to comment on this matter.

Bob Woodward, who extensively interviewed Trump for his bestseller "Rage," is undecided about future projects involving Trump. He mentioned that it depends on how Trump's presidency unfolds: "He wants to be the imperial president... I'll be watching and doing some reporting, but I'm still undecided."