Special Feature by Summer Lane |
After President Donald Trump won the presidential election in early November, an odd trend began circulating on social media: red-listing.
A powerful trend mostly found within TikTok’s well-known “BookTok” hashtag, the act of “red-listing” allegedly compiles public lists of authors with conservative beliefs (read: anyone who may have voted for Trump this year). The point? To promote the cancellation of such authors’ work and encourage users to unsubscribe from their channels or stop buying their books.
One user on TikTok, “cowboylikel0la,” posted a video with the caption, “wishing i knew what american romance authors voted red so i can stop supporting them and reading their books[.]”
Bestselling Amazon author Dana Isaly (author of Nick and Holly: The Complete Series) wrote on November 7 on Threads that she believed she had been red-listed, despite her liberal beliefs. She commented, “There’s a ‘voted red’ author list going around and I am somehow on it??? Can we do a little more research please 😭 I have ALWAYS spoken up about being a liberal and I AM QUEER[.]”
While the alleged red list itself remains elusive, the trend of canceling conservative writers has been a hot topic among conservatives – some of whom have had personal experiences with being canceled because of their beliefs.
And while cancel culture has been the modus operandi of a shock-jock media culture, it seems to be going out of style. When the hashtag “red list” is searched on TikTok, Write Revolution News discovered that most of the videos that come up are actually videos in support of conservative authors and a chastisement against the divisive concept of blackballing writers publicly for their personal opinions and beliefs.
Here’s one example of pushback on the trend from a previously neutral/apolitical author’s account:
Author Alyssa P. Kelso, who penned the Dreamcatcher Series, says she was placed on a red list after sharing her feelings about the 2024 presidential election results.
She told WRN in a statement this week:
“As a proud conservative, I openly shared my feelings about the 2024 election results on my social media. What I had not anticipated, however, was the reaction from the book community post-election. I received word from multiple sources my name had been added to the ‘red list,’ a list of authors and readers presumed to have voted ‘red.’ The red list was made with the intention to let others know who ‘not to support or purchase from,’ and it led to mass unfollowing trends online.”
Kelso also said conservative creators have “faced an onslaught of cyberbullying that is unequivocally unacceptable.”
The bullying behavior online has not deterred her from speaking out about the importance of free expression and real inclusivity. “Stories (and life) teach us the necessity and value of differing perspectives and that every voice matters,” she said. “We should strive to expand and challenge our worldviews – not to limit our knowledge. We can only grow as far as we are willing to branch out.”
And when it comes to handling negativity from hateful trolls, USA Today bestselling author Heather Blanton – a Christian and conservative – advises a pragmatic approach.
Blanton is the author of more than 30 romance books and pointed out that an author’s reader base can “insulate you from the dark forces in the reader world” and “come to your rescue, flooding in with honest, positive reviews.”
She told WRN that it’s important to have “core readership that is like-minded.”
Blanton added that this negative trend “isn’t going away” and elevated the importance of building a “tribe that will watch over them” in the industry.
But it seems as if the tide may be turning. While the mainstream publishing industry has been saturated with hot-button progressive terms like “diversity” and “inclusion,” conservative authors – or even just apolitical writers – have been pressured to cave to mob mentality demands.
In fact, according to Seeker of Time author J.M. Buckler, the publishing industry fell prey to the woes of political correctness as far back as 2020.
“All of these books were being published and a lot of them were really bad,” she told WRN. She noted authors were pressured to include plot points that seemed inauthentic to placate the demands for so-called diversity and inclusion.
“Authors like myself were getting canceled and then authors that weren’t posting enough POC [people of color] books were being attacked,” she said. “…People got scared and they got quiet.”
Buckler is no stranger to publishing. She’s won literary awards, published multiple well-received books, and maintains a fiery social media presence where she makes no secret of her conservative and Christian views.
She says forcing conformity upon authors puts artists “in a box” and explained, “you’re not going to get good artwork.”
Buckler also lamented publishers and authors who “caved to the woke” and compromised the integrity of their stories to “be more inclusive.”
“It’s put such a damper on what used to be such a bright, loving, fun community,” she continued. “…[But] the tide has turned, and I hope to see people just writing for the love of writing.”
Buckler isn’t the only one who’s tired of the liberal tirade against conservatives in the publishing industry.
“It’s become increasingly focused on pandering propaganda and identity politics over talent and the art of the written word,” Jessica Marie Baumgartner told WRN.
Baumgartner is a prolific news writer and author of Reclaiming Femininity and Homeschooling on a Budget. She’s also openly conservative.
“I think that anyone who seeks to cancel an author due to their personal politics isn’t likely to understand the full point of written communication nor do they appreciate freedom of thought and freedom of expression,” she said.
Baumgartner said she had to “pivot” her writing career when she “opposed government overreach in 2020.” She’s done so successfully, thanks to the world of independent publishing.
“It’s where the true art is, and where writing that takes risks thrives,” she said. “The left is on a path to render themselves obsolete as ‘cancel lists’ just point conservatives and centrists in the right direction for thoughtful writing. So I don’t really mind the lists, they’ll just help me find more reading material.”
And that is the silver lining. The attempted cancelation of conservative writers has given birth to a creative ecosystem of independent publishing – and media – that not only stands to counter unnecessary cruelty from a trend-driven mob culture, but to powerfully compete with it in new and exciting ways.
Featured Photo: Adobe Stock
Book Covers: Courtesy of Alyssa P. Kelso, Heather Blanton, J.M. Buckler, and Jessica Marie Baumgartner
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