One of this fall’s breakout debut novelists isn’t a romance writer or a recent graduate from a prestigious M.F.A. program. It’s Trey Gowdy, a former Republican Congressman and current Fox News host, whose crime novel, “The Color of Death,” debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times best-seller list.
Gowdy says he can’t take too much credit for the book’s success, however. That’s the work of his publisher: Fox News Books.
Fox News Books has found tremendous success capitalizing on the popularity of Fox personalities and the loyalty of its viewers. Most of its books are not expressly political, but they align with the network’s conservative bent.
The subject matter is often dictated by market research into what appeals to Fox audiences, topics like faith, family, patriotism, criminal justice and military service. Executives sometimes play matchmaker, pairing a particular subject with a Fox host or contributor. Then the books are launched into the world with a cascade of TV appearances — a publicity bonanza that is rare in today’s media climate.
When Gowdy’s book was published, he was a guest on “Fox & Friends,” “The Five” and “Hannity.” Asked on “Fox & Friends” how he came up with the idea for the book, about an assistant district attorney in small-town South Carolina trying to solve a murder, Gowdy, a former prosecutor, said, “I lived it.”
“I could never get the exposure for this book, I don’t think anywhere else, other than at Fox,” said Gowdy, whose novel marks Fox’s first expansion into fiction.
Since its launch five years ago, all 16 Fox News Books titles — their covers often featuring a badge that looks like the network logo — have become national best-sellers. Fox puts out three to five books a year, and distributes them through HarperCollins, a publishing company within Fox’s parent News Corp. With a small list, the network can give each of its authors ample airtime, particularly on chatty round table shows like “The Five” and “Fox & Friends.”
This spring, when Dana Perino, a Fox anchor and host, published an advice book called “I Wish Someone Had Told Me,” she appeared on multiple Fox series and filled in as a guest host on “Fox and Friends.” On one show, they brought in a mariachi band to celebrate the book. It spent nine weeks on New York Times best-seller list and sold more than 100,000 copies.
To promote “Behind the Badge” this summer, Johnny Joey Jones, a Fox host, appeared on “Fox & Friends,” “The Will Cain Show” and on a Fox Nation book special titled “Behind the Badge with Joey Jones.” The book, a tribute to first responders, went to No. 1 on the Times best-seller list.
Fox’s strong sales stand out at a moment when sales of political books and nonfiction titles overall have stagnated, and publishers and authors have found it increasingly hard to reach readers who are overwhelmed by the relentless news cycle.
The imprint has sidestepped that wavering interest by focusing on softer social and cultural issues. Gowdy said there was “not a word of politics” in his novel, “and you cannot tell the politics of a single character in the book.”
Like other news outlets, Fox has also pared back its books coverage in recent years, making it even more competitive to promote a book on the network.
Fox authors have “a huge advantage,” said Thomas Flannery, a literary agent. “Especially in the conservative space, it’s still the best way to sell books.”
Some industry executives and agents worry that since Fox now devotes so much airtime to its own authors, the network’s coverage of books released by rival publishers has dwindled.
“Fox News ceased to be a reliable launching pad for conservative best sellers,” said Adam Bellow, who publishes conservative books at Post Hill Press, “for anyone who’s not a Fox author.”
Jonathan Karp, the chief executive of Simon & Schuster, said that while authors he publishes authors continue to appear on the network, Fox seems to be “giving more emphasis” to books released by Fox and imprints within HarperCollins.
“They have every right to make whatever business decision they want to make, but it certainly isn’t fair and balanced coverage,” Karp said. “From casual viewing, it looks like HarperCollins authors and their book covers receive more airtime on Fox News than books published by other companies.”
Before the creation of Fox News Books, there was already ample evidence that Fox personalities could sell a lot of books.
Bill O’Reilly became a juggernaut while at the network, with 18 million copies of his “Killing” series now in print, according to its publisher, Macmillan. Mark R. Levin, the host of Fox News show “Life, Liberty and Levin,” has published a string of best-sellers with Simon & Schuster’s conservative line. And Brian Kilmeade’s books on American history, which he began publishing with Penguin’s conservative imprint Sentinel in 2013, have collectively sold more than a million print copies, according to Circana Bookscan.
Suzanne Scott, the chief executive of Fox News Media, saw authors published by other companies soar onto the best-seller list following Fox appearances, and had the idea for a publishing line that would allow the network to generate those best-sellers in house.
“One of the things we noticed very early on about the Fox News audience is they are big readers of books, and many of our top talent are best selling authors, so it wasn’t a huge leap,” said Lauren Petterson, the president of Fox Nation and head of talent development, who oversees development of Fox News Books.
Its first book, “Modern Warriors,” was conceived as a tie-in for a Fox Nation special about military service. The special was hosted by Pete Hegseth, the former “Fox & Friends” co-host who is now serving as the Trump administration’s defense secretary.
When it came out in 2020, Hegseth’s book ended up being a hit on its own, selling some 200,000 copies.
“It was like lightning in a bottle,” said Jason Klarman, who runs marketing and digital operations at Fox News Media.
Some Fox hosts now have contracts with clauses that give the network a first look deal for any potential books.
Shannon Bream said the idea for her 2021 book, “Women of the Bible Speak,” came from executives at Fox. After the book became a runaway hit, she turned it into a franchise, following with two more. She has another due out next year.
Each book was robustly promoted by the network and her colleagues, Bream said.
“I’ll reach out to different shows to let my friends know I have a new book coming, and they say, ‘Great! What date works for you?’” said Bream, the anchor of Fox News Sunday.
She also returns the favor. “When one of my co-workers has a Fox News book out, I’m going to have them on my podcast, on my show,” Bream said.
After moving into fiction with Gowdy’s “The Color of Death,” executives plan to expand into new categories like children’s books and comedy.
Gowdy said that the idea for a crime novel had been kicking around in his head for years until Scott, the Fox News chief executive, encouraged him to do it. He collaborated on the book with the mystery and thriller writer Christopher Greyson.
When it came out, his colleagues at the network rallied around the book. “I’m not aware of a single show that I’ve tried to get on where the answer was no,” Gowdy said.
Alexandra Alter writes about books, publishing and the literary world for The Times.
Elizabeth A. Harris covers books and the publishing industry, reporting on industry news and examining the broader cultural impact of books. She is also an author.
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