Impact of views about author on buying book
As a reader, I have found that when I disagree with an author's views or actions, this has influenced me not to buy their books.
As an author, I therefore wonder whether readers generally view the work as completely independent from the author's personal views? And what if the book is semi-autobiographical? Do readers see the author as part-and-parcel with the book as it tells much about its creator?
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2 answers
There seem to be three different parts to this question:
Does the author's public reputation affect the sales of books?
Do the view expressed in a book affect the sales of the book?
Do the private views of an author who is not otherwise a public figure affect the sales of books if they become know?
The answer to the first is clearly yes. Public notoriety is good for sales. Hatred is not an author's biggest enemy, indifference is. If you are hated by some and loved by others you will sell a lot of books to those who love you, and quite a few to those who hate you. You won't sell any to those who are indifferent to you.
The answer to the second is more complex. Steinbeck was roundly condemned for the socialist overtones of The Grape of Wrath, but it was a huge best seller, largely because of the huge emotional power of the story. Even if you don't agree with his politics, you will have a hard time not being moved by the novel. And the novel is not a political screed. Many of Dickens works were full of social protest, but they are still beloved for the characters and storytelling long after the injustices they protested were gone. A great book, in other words, can rise above its politics and be beloved by friends and foes alike.
But for people who are lesser artists, or whose work is more overtly political, you can expect that few who disagree with you will read you.
The third case is obviously more rare, but there are cases in which it becomes known that a beloved author had unfashionable political views. It is not clear to me that this really as much effect. Most people are not really moved to punish people merely for holding a different view from their own, though you would have a hard time telling it from the TV some days. I suspect that when these stories pop up from time to time, they probably do the author more good than harm, simply by reminding people that they exist.
Overall though, I think any concern about offending the reader is probably misplaced, unless you are so far out on a limb that your views will offend everyone. Ask Donald Trump how much he cared about offending the professional offence takes of the world. You don't need to win over the entire world. If 5% of the reading public buys your book, you will be very rich. Offending 95% of the reading public is a small price to pay if it means that 5% actually hear your name.
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I think an author's personal stance can absolutely be a deal-breaker. I won't buy or read anything more from Orson Scott Card now that I know about his raging homophobia. It would be an endorsement of his views. (So this would be a counter-example to @MarkBaker's third point.)
I could never completely separate an artist and his/her art, if for no other reason than money talks. It's the same reason I won't shop at certain stores: I'm expressing my positions with my wallet. I won't have anything more to do with Woody Allen, OJ Simpson, or Roman Polanski for similar reasons.
If the book is semi-autobiographical, it's even more of a reason to join artist to work and to consider both when making the decision to read/watch/listen etc.
If you as a writer are concerned about your personal views offending your audience, well, have the courage of your convictions. If you really believe whatever it is, there will be those who agree with you and those who don't. Your compatriots will buy your book and your detractors won't. There's no way to say which side is bigger without knowing the controversy in question.
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