Why aren't more self-help books aimed at men?

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   beverley byerposted 10 years ago

   Why aren't more self-help books aimed at men?
   
   My research on the subject of self-help books prompts the question.

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   Sunny River DIYposted 10 years ago

   Because women talk more.
   Lol.
   But seriously, it probably has to do with the fact that women are more open about their "problems" and are more willing to look to others (people, books, etc) for advice and help. Most men would rather just fix it themselves and not say anything about it.

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      beverley byerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thank you for responding. So, I guess you go where your audience is.

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   JThomp42posted 10 years ago

   Because women are open with their feelings, men tend to bottle everything up inside. This is the "big" question most women ask of their man, "why won't you talk to me?" Million dollar question.

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      beverley byerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Appreciate your response.

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      JThomp42posted 10 years agoin reply to this

      You are very welcome.

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      loveofnightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      you are so right JThomp42, this question would make a great hub.

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   Copper Manposted 10 years ago

   The market in books for men lies more in the nature of do-it-yourself than in self-help books. Book publishers understand this and direct their efforts accordingly.

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      loveofnightposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      I never thought about it that way but it's true.

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      beverley byerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for enlightening me.

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   susanzhengposted 10 years ago

   Actually, I think a lot of self help books are very helpful to both women and men. Just men don't read self help books as much as women. If really there are fewer self help books aiming at men, one of the main reasons may be  that sel-help books aiming at men are not easy to sell becaue of that not many men like to take initiative, buy or borrow a self help book to read to solve their own problems, or they don't have time to read, or they just think they don't have any problems at all. No writer will start to write without thinking how much he/she can make through his/her writing effort, neither would a publisher  like to publish some books and get itself into debt.

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   Express10posted 10 years ago

   There are many more women who are more likely to spend money on these books. This is not to say that men don't care about improving themselves however, there is a tendency for men to not read quite as much as women or pay full or partial price to do so. A lot of men are taught to keep things to themselves (which is not healthy) and many simply seek help from their buddies or mentors if they have any. All that being said, the bottom line for not only writers, but also publishers and sellers is money. If you go through the trouble of creating a product for people who are not likely to buy it, you will lose money.

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      beverley byerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks. Yeah, that bottom line.

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   zduckmanposted 10 years ago

   I believe there are a lot of self help books available to men. Granted the number would pale compared to those written for women. I think the basic reason is ...women read a lot more than men in general. I have found that a number of books might not be directly labeled as self help....they might be looked at as spiritual, or motivational. In essence though these are male self help books teaching us how to live a happier life and be a better person.

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      beverley byerposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Thanks for your thoughts.

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