Is the list missing books by female authors because their books are not getting published in the first place? Is there a problem with the universe of books from which to choose? Are books by female authors published more often in genres that are not seriously considered for the list? Or could it be that books by female authors are receiving lower advances and fewer marketing resources and are therefore not on the radar screen of PW?

I can't help thinking of an article in the New York Times about a Princeton economics undergrad who studied why fewer plays by women were being produced. Her data showed that artistic directors did get more scripts from men. However, she found that gender bias indeed existed, but often it was the female artistic director or literary agent who was discriminatory. I do not have the data, but I wonder if too many female voices have been filtered out by the large publishing houses, because they do not fit the mold of what has sold in the past.

I am a fan of independent authors and small presses as a means to make sure that female voices are heard. Can we increase both the amount of product and the visibility of the product so that next year the list may look different? Write on, women!