x
Breaking News
More () »

Struggling to find a good book to read? Blame the election

The fall of an election year is filled with campaign ads and debates, so a new book has a high chance of being overshadowed.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — If you're looking for a new book to read, you might want to wait until 2025, and experts say you can blame the presidential election

A recent scarcity of new books can be blamed on the 2024 presidential election. Let's connect the dots. 

The fall of an election year is filled with campaign ads and debates, so a new book has a high chance of being overshadowed. Getting overage in the press can make or break a book. That's why editors encourage authors to publish by September or simply wait until January. 

Publishers felt the effects of the 2016 election media storm in a big way, with book sales falling 8% from the previous year. 

RELATED: Trump addressing Fraternal Order of Police next week in Charlotte

However, during the 2020 election, new books grew by 1%. Why? Everyone was quarantining at home, so entertainment was hard to come by, allowing book sales to grow despite it being an election year. 

Some consumers will still turn to reading for an escape from politics, though. Reports say fiction novels fare better than nonfiction and political books during election season. 

RELATED: RFK Jr. sues North Carolina elections board as he seeks to remove his name from ballot

WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with news that impacts you from the team at WCNC Charlotte.  
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Pandora || TuneIn || Google Podcasts || iHeart 

All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere

Before You Leave, Check This Out