Publishers revel in focus on bullies

Nobody likes a bully - but these days the book industry loves having them to kick around.

Publishing houses are flooding the market with titles that tackle bullying. The books are aimed at all age groups - from "Bully," a picture book for children, to the "The Bully Book," for young teenagers, about an average kid who suddenly becomes everyone's favorite victim, to "Sticks and Stones" by Emily Bazelon, a recent release for adults that includes both stories and analysis. According to WorldCat, a catalog of library collections worldwide, the number of English-language books tagged with the key word "bullying" in 2012 was 1,891, an increase of 500 in a decade.

There are more to come, said Elizabeth Bird, who tracks trends for youth collections at the New York Public Library. "Bullying has always been a popular topic, but this year we are seeing bullying titles coming out as never before, and there is no end in sight."

The publishing world's preoccupation with bullies does not end at the bookshelf. Several publishing houses, including Random House, Simon & Schuster and Harlequin, have started antibullying campaigns built around their books. Authors have taken action as well. Two young-adult authors, Megan Kelley Hall and Carrie Jones, assembled an anthology of personal essays, called "Dear Bully: 70 Authors Tell Their Stories," by prominent writers like R. L. Stine, a popular American children's book author. A portion of the proceeds will go to charity.

Ms. Hall and Ms. Jones also formed a Facebook site called Young Adult Authors Against Bullying that identifies cruel Facebook pages and lobbies to have them removed.

The surge in antibullying books reflects the broader cultural alarm about the problem, spurred in part by several high-profile cases of cyberbullying that resulted in suicides in the United States.

The White House held its first conference on bullying prevention in 2011. In response to government cues, libraries, schools and bookstores like Barnes & Noble, the largest retail book chain in the United States, have been holding events to talk about the problem and provide help for parents and children. Those resources often come at least in part in the form of books and lectures by authors.

For publishers and authors it has been hard to miss the synergy that results: They can promote a cause that most people support while promoting their products. "The intention is service, to help the teachers and librarians who are looking for resources," said Michelle Fadlalla, director of education and library marketing for Simon & Schuster. "At the same time it is definitely an opportunity for us to gather sales because it is such a hot topic."

Ms. Hall, who collaborated on the "Dear Bully" anthology after Phoebe Prince, a bullied high school student from South Hadley, Massachusetts, committed suicide in 2010, said she had to turn away authors who wanted to be included in the collection. "A lot of the authors say books saved their lives during those difficult teen years," Ms. Hall said. And authors can be protective of their vulnerable readers. "They know that their fan base is people like them," she said, "people who consider reading as a refuge. We want to be there for teens to let them know it will get better."

The New York Times