Chapter 1: The Illusion of Pulitzer Success

Have you ever fantasized about winning a Pulitzer Prize and enjoying the financial rewards that come with it? Unfortunately, the truth may be quite disheartening: winning this prestigious award often does not lead to a significant increase in book sales.

To clarify, I aspire to win the Pulitzer Prize. Who among us aspiring writers hasn’t imagined the possibility of achieving such a monumental accolade? So, to anyone on the Pulitzer Prize Selection Committee reading this, please know that I am not rejecting any nominations!

However, if you believe that penning a book, winning the Pulitzer, and subsequently selling millions of copies is a guaranteed path, you might be mistaken. The reality is quite different.

Consider the data from Mal Warwick on Books:

"The 2014 winner for general nonfiction, Tom's River by Dan Fagin, experienced a sales increase from a mere 10 copies before the award announcement to 162 copies sold (with a total of 6,266 copies sold to date) according to BookScan, which tracks a substantial portion of industry sales.

The historical winner, The Internal Enemy by Alan Taylor, jumped from 27 copies to 433 copies (with 3,375 copies sold to date).

The poetry winner, 3 Sections by Vijay Seshadri, rose from 11 to 81 copies (totaling 353 copies sold).

Megan Marshall's Margaret Fuller, the biography winner, increased from 62 to 387 copies (5,038 copies sold to date)."

These figures are rather discouraging. The 2014 nonfiction Pulitzer Prize winner sold only 6,266 copies? The 2014 poetry winner only managed to sell 353 copies?

Interestingly, these statistics mainly focus on nonfiction, leaving poetry aside. As the article continues, it highlights that historically, fiction Pulitzer winners tend to see the most substantial sales increase among the five literary categories.

What accounts for this difference? Several factors may be at play, but a significant one is the subjective nature of fiction, which is often more competitive.

When I say fiction is subjective, I mean that it relies less on facts and more on imagination, emotions, and feelings. A fictional book can resonate beautifully with one reader while leaving another unimpressed. Thus, fiction’s impact varies widely based on personal experiences.

Good fiction can be elusive, and distinguishing it from mediocre writing is challenging. For the past century, the Pulitzer Prize has served as a fairly reliable benchmark for recognizing quality in fiction.

In contrast, nonfiction tends to be more fact-driven. Readers are typically drawn to nonfiction based on the subject matter rather than the quality of writing itself.

Think of it this way: when searching for fiction, I generally look for good writing, regardless of the specific type. However, when seeking nonfiction, I'm usually on the lookout for particular topics—perhaps a biography of Alexander the Great or a book on World War I trench warfare tactics—where writing quality is secondary to subject relevance.

What can we take away from this? Nonfiction authors should not anticipate that winning the Pulitzer Prize will significantly enhance their book sales. Conversely, fiction writers should recognize that while a Pulitzer Prize may boost their sales, the competition in the field is considerably fiercer than in nonfiction.

© Aaron Schnoor 2024

In this insightful video titled "Is the Pulitzer Prize in Trouble?", the discussion centers around the current relevance and impact of the Pulitzer Prize in today's literary landscape.

Chapter 2: The Nature of Literary Prizes

It’s essential to explore what types of books are truly deserving of literary accolades. In the video "What Type of Book Deserves to Win Literary Prizes? The Case of Less (A Pulitzer Prize Deep Dive)", we delve into the qualities that make certain works stand out in the eyes of award committees.