Joel Waldfogel

I can go back to the early 19th century. I can look at the card catalog of the Library of Congress, biggest library in the world. And by looking at the names of authors, I can infer the gender of authors. And back in 1800, about 5% of the books published who were written by women. And it rose very slowly over the 19th century. By 1900, it was still something like 10%.

And it continued to rise very slowly into the mid-20th century. And only at about 1970 did it do almost literally a hockey stick. That is, the female share just quickly rose from something like 15 to something like, well, by 2015 or so, over 50%. So it's really a remarkable transition that's happened fairly recently.

And it continued to rise very slowly into the mid-20th century. And only at about 1970 did it do almost literally a hockey stick. That is, the female share just quickly rose from something like 15 to something like, well, by 2015 or so, over 50%. So it's really a remarkable transition that's happened fairly recently.

And it continued to rise very slowly into the mid-20th century. And only at about 1970 did it do almost literally a hockey stick. That is, the female share just quickly rose from something like 15 to something like, well, by 2015 or so, over 50%. So it's really a remarkable transition that's happened fairly recently.

Well, I think a lot of it is female college going. So if you look at the share of women going to college, that's really when it bumps up. And so that means both that we have a bunch of women in a position to write, as well as a bunch of women who are likely to be people wanting to buy books. So it's both the supply side and the demand side.

Well, I think a lot of it is female college going. So if you look at the share of women going to college, that's really when it bumps up. And so that means both that we have a bunch of women in a position to write, as well as a bunch of women who are likely to be people wanting to buy books. So it's both the supply side and the demand side.

Well, I think a lot of it is female college going. So if you look at the share of women going to college, that's really when it bumps up. And so that means both that we have a bunch of women in a position to write, as well as a bunch of women who are likely to be people wanting to buy books. So it's both the supply side and the demand side.

But I really think it's taking a lot of women and think about the social change of the 20th century that really liberated women in many ways to participate in various kinds of economic activity, one of which is writing books.

But I really think it's taking a lot of women and think about the social change of the 20th century that really liberated women in many ways to participate in various kinds of economic activity, one of which is writing books.

But I really think it's taking a lot of women and think about the social change of the 20th century that really liberated women in many ways to participate in various kinds of economic activity, one of which is writing books.

Well, surely there are. I mean, it's interesting. If you go back early in the century, there were fairly prominent examples, very prominent examples of very successful women authors. So I don't know that – it's not an alien thing to read Virginia Woolf or something. So there have been in the bestseller list a lot of women even back as early in the 20th century.

Well, surely there are. I mean, it's interesting. If you go back early in the century, there were fairly prominent examples, very prominent examples of very successful women authors. So I don't know that – it's not an alien thing to read Virginia Woolf or something. So there have been in the bestseller list a lot of women even back as early in the 20th century.

Well, surely there are. I mean, it's interesting. If you go back early in the century, there were fairly prominent examples, very prominent examples of very successful women authors. So I don't know that – it's not an alien thing to read Virginia Woolf or something. So there have been in the bestseller list a lot of women even back as early in the 20th century.

But I think what's interesting to me is that this increase in female authorship, it occurs across all genres of production. So it's not just fiction. It's all kinds of nonfiction. So women are really becoming more involved in the production of all kinds of books.

But I think what's interesting to me is that this increase in female authorship, it occurs across all genres of production. So it's not just fiction. It's all kinds of nonfiction. So women are really becoming more involved in the production of all kinds of books.

But I think what's interesting to me is that this increase in female authorship, it occurs across all genres of production. So it's not just fiction. It's all kinds of nonfiction. So women are really becoming more involved in the production of all kinds of books.

Well, it's hard to say, you know, because I look at enormous numbers of books. And so there's sort of like the publishing industry has, I think, historically been very an elitist industry. And there's sort of a high echelon of the fancy publishers. And then there are many, many other kind of echelons of books. And by recently, you know, there's an enormous amount of self-publishing.

Well, it's hard to say, you know, because I look at enormous numbers of books. And so there's sort of like the publishing industry has, I think, historically been very an elitist industry. And there's sort of a high echelon of the fancy publishers. And then there are many, many other kind of echelons of books. And by recently, you know, there's an enormous amount of self-publishing.

Well, it's hard to say, you know, because I look at enormous numbers of books. And so there's sort of like the publishing industry has, I think, historically been very an elitist industry. And there's sort of a high echelon of the fancy publishers. And then there are many, many other kind of echelons of books. And by recently, you know, there's an enormous amount of self-publishing.

And so it might be – it's entirely possible that there are barriers and challenges maybe historically for women at the kind of the high end. But there have been since 1970 I think a lot of ways to get published and especially since 2010 or so when people could begin to self-publish.