1. a Meaningful Categorization?
Is "Women Writers"
a Meaningful Categorization?
This House of Books
January 29, 2019

2. Getting An Agent Catherine Nichols
Sent out manuscript queries to agents under her own name, then the name of George
Catherine 50 agents: requests 2
George 50 agents: requests 17
“Fully a third of the agents who saw his query wanted to see more, where my numbers never did shift from one in 25” writes Nichols

3. Publishing, Reviews, and Recommendations
The Atlantic, The London Review of Books, The New Republic, The Nation
75 men published to 25 women (both reviewers and reviewed)
“By the Book,” New York Times (books on writers’ nightstands) 100 most recent columns August 2018
Male authors recommend books by other men four times as much as they recommend books by women
Half of the 54 male authors mentioned no women writers,
Women authors recommend books by men and women about equally

5. “Women Write About Family, Andrew Piper and Richard Jean So
Men Write About War”
Andrew Piper and Richard Jean So
New Republic, April 8, 2016

6. Prizes Nobel Prize for Literature: 14 women out of 100 prizes
 Man Booker Prize: fewer than 40% women

7. High Plains Book Awards 2007 - 2018
Category
Number
Male
Female
Art & Photography 8 7 1
Best New Book
Book of Year
Children’s Book 5
Creative Nonfiction 3 2
Culinary
Fiction 11 6
First Book
Indigenous Writer
Medicine & Science 4
Nonfiction
Poetry 10
Short Stories
Woman Writer
Young Adult 92 46 47 82 37
50%
56%
44%
-12% for women

8. Percentage 8% 92% 79% 23% Woman-Dominated Categories
Male-Dominated Categories
Category
Number
Male
Female
Art & Photography 8 7 1
Best New Book
Book of Year
Children’s Book 5
Creative Nonfiction 3 2
Culinary
Fiction 11 6
First Book
Indigenous Writer
Medicine & Science 4
Nonfiction
Poetry 10
Short Stories
Woman Writer
Young Adult
Total 13 12 33 26
Percentage 8%
92%
79%
23%