If book sales were electoral votes, the U.S. presidential election would hardly be a close contest.
So far in 2008, four books published by Sen. Barack Obama between 2004 and fall 2008 have sold a combined 912,000 copies, according to Nielsen BookScan.
In comparison, Sen. John McCain’s five titles, published between 1999 and summer 2008, have sold a total of 116,000 copies — almost 800,000 copies less than Obama.
Between January and September 21, 2008, McCain’s top selling book, “Faith of My Fathers,” sold 73,000 copies in hardcover, paperback, and audio editions.
Obama’s top book, “The Audacity of Hope,” out-sold McCain’s title by 639% during the same period, according to Nielsen, with sales of 540,000 copies in hardcover, paperback, audio, and Spanish language editions.
| John McCain’s Book Titles | Format | Pub Date | Publisher (Imprint) | 2008 Unit Sales (Thru Sept. 21, 2008) * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FAITH OF MY FATHERS | Hardcover | 3/1/2008 | RANDOM HOUSE | 36,000 |
| FAITH OF MY FATHERS | Trade Paperback | 9/1/2000 | HARPER PERENNIAL | 35,000 |
| WHY COURAGE MATTERS | MM Paperback | 7/1/2008 | BALLANTINE BOOKS | 11,000 |
| HARD CALL | Trade Paperback | 2/1/2008 | TWELVE | 9,000 |
| WORTH THE FIGHTING FOR | Trade Paperback | 9/1/2003 | RANDOM HOUSE | 7,000 |
| WHY COURAGE MATTERS | Hardcover | 1/1/2004 | RANDOM HOUSE | 5,000 |
| CHARACTER IS DESTINY | Trade Paperback | 8/1/2007 | RANDOM HOUSE | 4,000 |
| HARD CALL | Hardcover | 8/1/2007 | TWELVE | 4,000 |
| FAITH OF MY FATHERS | Hardcover | 8/1/1999 | RANDOM HOUSE | 1,000 |
| CHARACTER IS DESTINY | Hardcover | 10/1/2005 | RANDOM HOUSE | 1,000 |
| FAITH OF MY FATHERS | รudio | 4/1/2008 | RANDOM HOUSE AUDIBLE | 1,000 |
| HARD CALL | รudio | 2/1/2008 | HACHETTE AUDIO | 1,000 |
| Source: The Nielsen Company (January 1, 2008 – September 21, 2008). *BookScan does not track sales from Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club, BJ’s, and airports. |
| Barack Obama’s Book Titles | Format | Pub Date | Publisher (Imprint) | 2008 Unit Sales (Thru Sept. 21, 2008) * |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THE AUDACITY OF HOPE | Trade Paperback | 11/1/2007 | THREE RIVERS PRESS (CA) | 441,000 |
| DREAMS FROM MY FATHER | Trade Paperback | 8/1/2004 | THREE RIVERS PRESS (CA) | 310,000 |
| THE AUDACITY OF HOPE | Hardcover | 10/1/2006 | CROWN PUBLISHERS | 33,000 |
| DREAMS FROM MY FATHER | Hardcover | 1/1/2007 | CROWN PUBLISHERS | 30,000 |
| THE AUDACITY OF HOPE | MM Paperback | 7/1/2008 | VINTAGE BOOKS USA | 30,000 |
| THE AUDACITY OF HOPE | รudio | 11/1/2007 | RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO ASSETS | 27,000 |
| DREAMS FROM MY FATHER | รudio | 5/1/2005 | RANDOM HOUSE AUDIBLE | 13,000 |
| THE ESSENTIAL BARACK OBAMA | รudio | 3/1/2008 | RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO ASSETS | 9,000 |
| BARACK OBAMA: IN HIS OWN WORDS | Trade Paperback | 3/1/2007 | CARROLL & GRAF PUBLISHERS | 7,000 |
| LA AUDACIA DE LA ESPERANZA | Trade Paperback | 6/1/2007 | VINTAGE BOOKS USA | 4,000 |
| THE AUDACITY OF HOPE | รudio | 10/1/2006 | RANDOM HOUSE AUDIO ASSETS | 3,000 |
| CHANGE WE CAN BELIEVE IN | รudio | 9/1/2008 | RANDOM HOUSE AUDIBLE | 1,000 |
| Source: The Nielsen Company (January 1, 2008 – September 21, 2008). *BookScan does not track sales from Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club, BJ’s, and airports. |
