JK Rowling book sales unaffected by transgender views row

[RoyalCorgi]

Some good news:

www.theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/21/jk-rowling-book-sales-unaffected-by-transgender-views-row

Take that, suckers.

That is not surprising at all. Come the autumn when she has the next Cormoran Stike book and the Ikabog our she will be even more successful.

I bought a Robert Galbraith book (my first) to celebrate JKR speaking up for Women's Rights. I expect many women found a way to support her.

Unaffected in the UK. There's some evidence they may have been affected in the US. Someone mentioned Variety variety.com/2020/film/news/jk-rowling-book-sales-harry-potter-1234708777/ - which, although it reports that her sales rose year-on-year, says they rose a lot less than the industry average. I'm not an expert so I don't know for sure whether they're reading the data correctly, but it could indicate that there has been a backlash affecting US sales to some extent.

which, although it reports that her sales rose year-on-year, says they rose a lot less than the industry average.

As a result of her statements over the past few months? I doubt it. Much more likely that there's already a set of HP books in most households, so it's a natural slowdown.

@CallarMorvern

I'm glad to hear this 🙂 Was also pondering about jumping into the Cormoran Strike books, but wasn't sure they would be my kind of thing. Good to hear your positive reviews.

Me too. I’ve been looking for something new to read.

Are the Cormoran Strike books any good? I know it's a totally different genre, but I just didn't really like Harry Potter, but I would like to try a bit of Robert Galbraith?

Sorry, I missed that last post - so they are good then? I think I will try one to read on holiday!

I’m sure I read somewhere people were buying them just to burn them...which kinda defeated the point

Much more likely that there's already a set of HP books in most households, so it's a natural slowdown.
Could be, and that thought crossed my mind too, but the Variety article states:
"The lagging returns for Rowling are especially significant considering that in 2019, her print book sales in June rose right alongside sales for the rest of the industry: 35.2% for the author compared with 33.3% for fiction overall"
So, last year the rise in sales was in line with the rest of the industry, whereas this year it appears (in the US) to be way behind.

In the Guardian article, I don't think Bloomsbury specify whether Rowling's rise is in line with the general rise, only that there is a general rise and that she remains a bestseller. Still, I would be surprised if her trans views were having an impact here. But the US data does seem to suggest them having an impact there, prima facie.

I read the first Cormoran Strike book and enjoyed it v much - I'm a big detective fiction fan. I thought it was well plotted and well written. Am going to work my way through the rest of the series.

I read the Strike books and have pre-ordered the fifth as a result of JKR getting grief earlier. I was a bit meh after the first one, but I think they get better as they go on.

That’ll be me!

And I no longer buy the Guardian.

Is there a connection..?!!

I found it quite interesting their interpretation that JKRs sales went up despite the trans stuff, but that black authors sales increased because of black lives matter. Perhaps JKR was also because

And yes, as above, no mention of her actual prioritisation of women's rights...

@AuntyPasta

They’re not even trying to be balanced.

No. Nothing to balance, right? There's trans and then there's ... what? Can't see a thing on the other side. Nobody there. Like in the Mary Leng poem:

"I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us — don't tell!
They'd banish us, you know.

I thought I might be somebody!
They tell me I was wrong.
For no one was harmed in the race we ran;
I was no one all along."

As the genre goes, they're ok. I've just finished the third one, and that was better than the second, and actually pretty gripping. The fourth looks like a bloody doorstop, and I wonder if they're going the way of Harry Potter (quantity over tight plotting).

But I've bought the lot, so I'll read them! I love her for what's she's said.

I really enjoyed the Strike books and the TV adaptation.

She has done a good job to bring the issue to the fore. Everyone was talking about it for a while, although I was disheartened by how naïve or just disinterested some of my friends were. One said 'it just seems a strange hill to die on'. I made my feelings clear on the subject I think people generally underestimate the massive effect TRAs are having on all aspects of our lives and how much large businesses and organisations seem to bend to their will and casually kick women's rights to the curb in the process.

oh and if you have spare book buying money do buy Gillian Philips books dumped for just mentioning JKR in her twitter profile. I'm working my way through her back catalogue.

I bought the first Cormoran Strike book recently as a direct result of the crap JKR is getting, and I'll buy more for my next holiday. Also started watching the series on iplayer, don't know if it's still available.

I will also try Gillian Philips

The Ickabog is available now to pre-order at Waterstones, half price, and looks so beautiful.
www.waterstones.com/book/the-ickabog/j-k-rowling/9781510202252

Would make a lovely Christmas present.

[quote stella47]The Ickabog is available now to pre-order at Waterstones, half price, and looks so beautiful.
www.waterstones.com/book/the-ickabog/j-k-rowling/9781510202252[/quote]
Just pre-ordered my Ickabog, thanks for the link!

Wouldn't JKRs sales be down on last year in part because the next illustrated HP book isn't out yet? Those hardbacks are wallet busting, they must boost her takings pretty substantially!

We have just finished The Ickabog (and it was brilliant!) but I am definitely going to order it for my kids for Xmas.

're the Variety figures: that's another straight forward case of there's lies, damn lies and statistics.

Comparing sales figures for JK Rowling against the market as a whole is misleading. The market figures include huge amounts of new releases. Rowling had none. E-books and a number of other titles (like colouring books etc) are excluded. As was any mention of the fact that a new movie in the franchise was released at the end of 2018. Movie releases drive sales of the entire back catalogue. By now that effect has worn off.

And yet it's astonishing that on top of the huge amount of her titles that are continuing to sell 20 years after publication, those sales are growing even further. Even now. Even without a movie.

That's not to say that her brave defence of women's right to name themselves, to talk about our lives without our language being policed and to defend our interests may not have annoyed a number of parents with children who are old enough and interested enough to enjoy Harry Potter. I doubt it annoyed enough of them to impact sales that much with such immediacy.

Well I've just read the first Cormoran Strike book despite not being my usual taste and found it fantastic. I've bought the second for my holiday reading.

Since JKR has spoken out I've spent more on HP related stuff and about to order the Strike series, and Ickabog (which I'll have to hide until Xmas - if my willpower holds).

I'm actively buying more because of her bravery. I love her stuff anyway. What a wonderful woman she is.