Banned books have garnered a fair amount of attention recently – we’ve seen them trending on social media, and it’s not uncommon to see a display highlighting banned titles in stores now. There’s a reason you’ve likely heard more about banned books in recent years: Book bans are happening more often.
While there is a lot of thoughtful writing out there that explores this topic with an educational, political, or ethical lens, today we’re going to zero in on one side of the discussion that typically does not take the center stage: The financial impact of book bans.
Who and what is getting banned?
PEN America, a 501(c)(3) focused on protecting the freedom of expression in literature, began tracking instances of book bans in 2021. Since then, it has recorded 22,810 cases in total, with 6,870 of those – or roughly 30% – happening in the 2024-2025 school year alone.
PEN America provides insights into these records and analyzes the findings each year. For instance, it found roughly 30% of the titles challenged during the 2022-2023 school year either included characters of color or discussed race, and an additional 30% included LGBTQ+ characters or themes. In looking at trends for which authors are impacted by these bans, it was found to be “most frequently female, people of color, and/or LGBTQ+ individuals.”
While parents may have originated the majority of book bans in the U.S. at one point or another in time, this isn’t the case today. According to the American Library Association, only 16% of censorship attempts in 2024 were brought up by parents. Instead, the largest contributors to book ban attempts were boards or administrations (36%) and pressure groups (26%). A Washington Post analysis found “just 11 people were responsible for filing 60 percent” of book challenges in 2021-2022.
Caught in the middle: Taxpayers
Regardless of the “who and what” of the situation, one thing is for certain: Banning a book doesn’t come cheap.
Politico reported that Florida “school districts are spending between $34,000 and $135,000 per year to comply with a 2023 state law” that requires them to have all books digitally logged and listed on a public website parents can monitor. This process is often outsourced due to schools’ staff already being stretched thin. Meanwhile, advocacy group EveryLibrary estimated Texan taxpayers would be paying at least $3.6 million to carry out the extensive book bans from 2023 across the state. In one Texas town, a years-long legal dispute over book bans cost residents $270,000 in legal fees.
However, the financial impact starts long before a book is actually banned – responding to the challenge of a single book was estimated to cost at least $575. This includes the cost of the book and the committee members’ time to read it and reach a decision. When hundreds or even thousands of titles are being challenged, these costs add up fast. For example, the Davis School District in Utah spent over $27,000 during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 school years to review around 100 books.
Effects on authors
Despite the banned book displays and increased media coverage you might see, having a book banned more often than not hinders an author’s career. As one author told CNN, “When books get banned, even when authors do see a spike in sales, it is much more devastating for careers in the long run. If your book is kept out of libraries and schools in entire states — that does translate to a long-term consistent drop in sales.”
For many authors, public and school libraries are integral to their careers and serve as a main avenue for new readers to find their work, especially since libraries typically promote a large variety of titles (not just bestsellers) to patrons. Libraries often extend visit invitations to authors to speak about their work, which is an opportunity for authors to connect with new communities and sell their works in person. Unsurprisingly, these visits are directly impacted by book bans. Public libraries were the site of 55% of multi-title challenges in 2024, followed by school libraries at 38%.
As book bans increase, some fear that it will influence which books publishers choose to put money into publishing in the future and, subsequently, the type of books available to read: “There have been thousands of challenges across America, and what that actually means is that young people are being denied the opportunity and access to these books.”
