Can Liberals Publish Conservative Books?

RichardPoe.com ^ | June 3, 2003 | Richard Poe

[IncPen]

Check this out...

[D. Brian Carter]

Not only do the small houses have to find new talent and be creative in keeping established authors, they have to find a way to pass on their legacy if and when they decide to sell-out. If the persons involved are truly committed to conservative and libertarian ideals, something has to come before the Almighty Dollar. When the day comes when the big houses come knocking on the door to buy these printers out, some assurance needs to be made that the tradition of the company will continue.

[RLK]

New talent will be difficult to find. On the whole, I'm not impressed with the quality of conservative writing.

[Richard Poe]

I'm not impressed with the quality of conservative writing.

What conservative writers impress you? And which ones do not?

[Fawnn]

I'm not impressed with the quality of conservative writing.

Reagan's speechwriters did okay; W's speechwriters seem to be doing fine, too. ;)

I remember reading what had been promoted as a "Christian novel" in the '70s. That book was awful. Christian publishing has since taken off. Now I wonder if that novel (the title of which I've since thankfully forgotten) was a homogenized version of a liberal editor's view of religion.

[Dr. Scarpetta]

But will it work? Can liberal publishers really bring themselves to nurture conservative talent? Can they resist the temptation to censor, castrate, water down and otherwise abuse conservative authors?

It's hard to believe that it will actually work over the long haul.

[alloysteel]

Even if the type gets set, and the printing presses start rolling, and a number of books do get bound, the publisher orientated against conservative thought (assuming any kernel of conservative philosophy was not edited out of the manuscript to begin with), not much effort will be put into merchandising the product. Distribution will be almost directly to the discount tables and bargain bins.

The degree of respect would be something Rodney Dangerfield would spurn.

[RLK]

One of the best is columnist Charles Krauthammer. When Rush Limbaugh said Krauthammer was one of the smartist men in the country, I had to agree with him. The old Commentary magazine was outstanding, although it required an IQ of 145 minimum to read it. The mag was divided into a general and a second Jewish culture section. I have no interest in Jewish culture. The general section was the part I read. It was one of Reagan's favorires. Midge Dector was writing tough conservative books before others had the guts and brains to do it. Her Liberal Parents, Radical Children was written at a time when saying such things would get somebody crucified. Commentary's Susan Garment was brilliant, although I don't know whether she has written any books. Reagan's War gave insights into Reagan when he was a young man. It was worth the read. Olson's The Final Days left me flat. I bought it to support the cause, but it lacks substance and ideas that would last over time. For those who wanted to cheer hatred of Hillary, it was a hoot. However, it was somewhat predictable and repetitious. My disgust with either of the Clintons is widely known. Norman Podhoret's analysis of Viet Nam was a little to hastily written, but a groundbreaking effort.

Some of the best conservative books are written by extreme leftists. Robert McNamara's In Retrospect establish him as a leftist blowhard subversive more who sabotaged the Viet Nam war more authoritatively than any conservative writer could have done.

[RLK]

Reagan's speechwriters did okay; W's speechwriters seem to be doing fine, too. ;)

---------------------------

Reagan wrote many of os best speechs. I knew the woman at the White House who typed them up using the special shorthand he liked.

[RLK]

And don't forget Tom Sowell. His Ethnic America was brillian and well documented. There's a lot of meat in his writing.

[foreverfree]

bump

[Tamzee]

A wonderful analysis of the challenges conservatives have faced with mainstream publishers... IMHO this is a large piece of the puzzle which helped liberals gain such a stranglehold on our society.

BTW, I just went to Amazon.com to purchase your book "The New Underground: How Conservatives Conquered the Internet". I've been waiting for it to show in stores and just tonight decided to pre-order it so I would have it immediately upon becoming available. To say I'm greatly looking forward to reading it would be like saying the sun is just a little warm ;-) Just as an FYI to you, Amazon won't let me pre-order the book, however... I'll try again another day but thought you might wish to know that if you weren't aware of the situation.

[fish hawk]

Great article Richard. I see you still drop in at FrontPage Magazine once in awhile. That is where I first read your works. Aloha from a rare breed: an American Indian Conservative.

[exDemMom]

not much effort will be put into merchandising the product.

In what respect does that differ from what goes on now? I don't recall ever seeing advertising for any conservative books.

[nutmeg]

FYI

[Travis McGee]

Don't forget Ralph Peters, Robert Kaplan, Victor Davis Hanson, Mark Steyn, Richard Prager and the many others I am too tired to remember off the top of my head.

[Travis McGee]

Outstanding website Richard. I really appreciate your up-frontness in putting the large Free Republic link front and center. So many columnists, talk hosts etc obviously lurk here to mine the cutting edge ideas, and then pretend they don't know us in "polite company."

I am wondering about publishing conservative fiction? A quick example. Clancy (I am no fan of his writing, but a big fan of his success) simply could not get The Hunt For Red October published in New York, and eventually convinced the tiny Naval Institute Press to take a flyer with their first work of fiction.

Another route to try is that taken by John Ross, author of Unintended Consequences. He has sold about 60,000 massive hardbacks through Accurate Press, a tiny publisher of technical gun booklets.

I have written a second amendment novel set in the near future, "Enemies Foreign and Domestic," which I am self-publishing and selling only via the internet and gun magazine ads. I don't have the years to spend pleading my case with the anti-gun liberals on 5th Avenue.

Are any of the conservative publishing houses you have listed considering branching into conservative fiction? I wild note the success of the extremely badly written "Left Behind" series within the Christian conservative demographic. There is a market out there starving for good conservative fiction!

A very well written second amendment novel could also be a great success, harking back to Clancy, and his unpublishable (in New York) pro-military Hunt For Red October.

How many books have Chris Lehane (SP) and Tom Clancy sold?

[Travis McGee]

Publishing Ping.

[firebrand]

Thanks for the ping. I feel bad for Regnery, which published conservatives when nobody else would and now will get beaten out by the deep pockets. Crown Forum has already hired one of their editors away from them.