Are Women Better Children’s Book Authors Than Men?
I just came across an article that discussed whether or not women are better writers than men. I was surprised that this question is batted around at all, let alone that there might actually be people who still think men are inherently better writers than women. I thought that women had long since proven their abilities in almost every field, not just writing, and I thought that by now this kind of question is not only irrelevant, but pointless.
However, since the question is out there, I thought I would search for some data on my own that might help illustrate the correct answer. Since my particular area of expertise is Children’s lit, I’m only going to focus on writers of juvenile and young adult fiction.
Rank | Book series | Author | First published | Approximate sales |
1 | Harry Potter | J.K.Rowling | 1997–2007 | more than 400 million for the 7 main books alone |
2 | Goosebumps | R. L. Stine | 1992–1998 | more than 300 million |
3 | Berenstain Bears | Stan and Jan Berenstain | 1962 — present | 260 million |
4 | Choose Your Own Adventure | various authors | 1979 — 1998 | 250 million |
5 | Sweet Valley High | Francine Pascal and ghostwriters | 1983 – present | 250 million |
6 | Noddy | Enid Blyton | 1949–present | 200 million |
7 | Nancy Drew | various authors as Carolyn Keene | 1930 — present | 200 million |
8 | The Railway Series (including Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends) |
Rev. W. Awdry, Christopher Awdry | 1945–2007 | 200 million |
9 | The Baby-sitters Club | Ann Martin | 1986 — present | 172 million |
10 | Peter Rabbit | Beatrix Potter | 1902–1930 | 150 million |
11 | American Girl | various authors | 1986 — present | 120 million |
12 | The Chronicles of Narnia | C. S. Lewis | 1949–1954 | 120 million |
13 | Clifford the Big Red Dog | Norman Bridwell | 1963 — present | 110 million |
14 | Twilight | Stephenie Meyer | 2005–2010 | more than 100 million |
15 | Mr. Men | Roger Hargreaves, Adam Hargreaves | 1971 — present | 100 million |
Table 1. Best-selling series books for children.
Nevertheless, even though the numbers seem to suggest that women are, in fact, better writers of children’s books than men, I still refuse to make that conclusion outright. The more I think about the inanity of the question, the more I realize that no one is able to argue definitively for either side because the matter ultimately rests on subjective scores, despite what the numbers say. I could speculate all day about why the numbers favor the women; maybe with a history of staying at home with their children, women have developed a keener sensitivity to what kids are in to. Maybe in another thirty years the numbers will flip and the men will have more bestsellers and award winners.
That women publish more bestsellers and award winners isn’t enough to proclaim them as better writers, and I don’t guess that’s necessarily the label that women writers are looking for. I imagine that what most female authors would prefer is never to see another article that debates the merits of genders when it comes to purely intellectual or creative pursuits. To create any kind of art is to have the ability to feel deeply and to express emotion through some type of creative medium. It would be stupid for anyone to think they could make an argument that would clearly show that one sex was better than the other in such a far-reaching, ongoing media such as literature. One who would propose such an argument would instantly seem like an arrogant ass, which would only invite others to point out the many flaws of his argument.
My sources for this article were:
“Are Women Better Writers Than Men?” Lydia Dishman. 11.13.09. http://www.fastcompany.com/blog/lydia-dishman/all-your-business/are-women-better-writers-men
“List of Best-Selling Books” Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_books#List_of_best-selling_single-volume_books
If you want to read more articles about this question, visit:
“5 Reasons Women Technical Writers Are Better Than the Boys” Ivan Walsh. 06.16.10. http://www.ihearttechnicalwriting.com/technical-writing/5-reasons-women-technical-writers-are-better-than-the-boys/4479/
“Are Men Better Writers than Women?” Salon Media. 06.03.98. http://www.salon.com/media/1998/06/03media.html