Are we falling out of love with nonfiction?

"In the decade leading up to the pandemic, nonfiction seemed unstoppable. Readers flocked to books that explained a world upended by Brexit, Trump, #MeToo and climate upheaval. Titles such as Timothy Snyder's On Tyranny, Caroline Criado-Perez's Invisible Women, and Robin D'Angelo's White Fragility soared up the charts. It felt as though reading itself was part of the civic response, a way to understand what was happening, and perhaps influence what might happen next."

"Fast forward to the present day, and the picture is starting to look different: a recent report from NielsenIQ found that trade nonfiction sales have slipped sharply. In volume terms, the category is down 8.4% between last summer and the same period this year nearly double the decline in paperback fiction and down 4.7% in value. Though there have been some exceptions, such Chloe Dalton's Raising Hare and Want by Gillian Anderson, 14 out of 18 nonfiction subcategories have contracted."

"Anecdotally, authors are feeling the pinch. After receiving a slew of rejections for a nonfiction proposal, one writer told me the feedback from publishers was that nonfiction just isn't selling. Another has pivoted from nonfiction to fiction on her agent's advice because it's hell out there. A third told me that he'd heard publishers have soured on any nonfiction that isn't Hollywood friendly ie made-for-TV memoirs. Speaking to publishing insiders and readers, one word that cropped up repeatedly was escapism."

In the decade before the pandemic nonfiction sales surged as readers sought explanations for political and social upheaval, with titles like On Tyranny, Invisible Women and White Fragility topping charts. Recent NielsenIQ data show trade nonfiction volume fell 8.4% year-on-year and value declined 4.7%, with 14 of 18 nonfiction subcategories contracting. Authors report increased rejections, agents advising pivots to fiction, and publishers preferring Hollywood-friendly memoirs. Industry insiders and readers cite escapism and information fatigue as drivers of the shift, with a corresponding rise in romantasy and other escapist genres as readers seek refuge from relentless negative news.

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