If you love historical fiction and spend a lot of time reading about it and discussing it on social media, there's a good chance you have either come across M.K. Tod's novels or the wonderful Historical Fiction readers survey she has done over the last few years. I've participated in the survey in the past and love seeing the results of what other like-minded readers find intriguing (or not) about Historical Fiction and seeing how the trends are developing and changing as the years pass. I'm happy to share with you her 2015 Historical Fiction Readers Survey has gone live and you can now participate! I've already taken the survey and signed up to receive the results after it closes on May 14th. So read on below to learn more about the survey and how to participate!
Writers and readers – a symbiotic
relationship. Ideas spark writers to create stories and build worlds and
characters for readers’ consumption. Readers add imagination and thought along
with their backgrounds and attitudes to interpret those stories, deriving
meaning and enjoyment in the process. A story is incomplete without both writer
and reader.
What then do readers want? What constitutes
a compelling story? How do men and women differ in their preferences? Where do
readers find recommendations? What are their attitudes to pricing or their
favourite reading blogs? These and other questions have been the subject of two
previous reader surveys.
ANNOUNCING A 2015 READER SURVEY designed to
solicit further input on reading habits, historical fiction preferences,
favourite authors and, for the first time, favourite historical fiction. THE
SURVEY WILL BE OPEN UNTIL MAY 14.
and share the
link (
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GXRD9B7)
with friends and family and on your favourite social media. Robust participation
across age groups, countries, and other demographics will make this year’s
survey even more significant. Those who take the survey will be able to sign up
to receive a summary report when it becomes available.
HISTORICAL
FICTION IS MAINSTREAM: Less than 2% of participants said they rarely or never
read historical fiction.
GENDER
MAKES A DIFFERENCE: Women and men differ significantly in their reading habits
and preferences and their views of historical fiction.
AGE
MAKES A DIFFERENCE: Those under 30 have different preferences for genre and
time period
and have different patterns of consumption and acquisition.
SOCIAL
MEDIA IS HAVING A BIG IMPACT ON READING: Social media and online sites play an
increasingly significant role for those choosing, purchasing, and talking about
fiction.
BOOK BLOGS ARE VERY POPULAR:
1,473 participants listed one, two or three favourite blogs.
GEOGRAPHY: Responses
to questions such as the use of online tools for recommendations and purchasing
and preferred setting for historical fiction varied by geography.
PRICING:
Sadly, readers are pushing for low prices. For example, 60% want e-books at
$5.99 or less and 66% want paperbacks at $10.99 or less.
ONLINE BOOK
CLUBS ARE GAINING POPULARITY: 21% belong to online clubs while
15% belong to clubs meeting in a physical location
VOLUME OF BOOKS READ MAKES A
DIFFERENCE: for example, high volume readers have different
expectations for book reviews, a higher interest in tracking their books, and
higher usage of online tools and social media to augment their reading experience.
Participate in this year’s survey by
clicking the link and please
share the URL with others
(https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/GXRD9B7).
M.K.
Tod writes historical fiction and blogs about all aspects of the genre at A Writer of History. Her latest novel, LIES
TOLD IN SILENCE is set in WWI France and is available from Amazon, Nook, Kobo, Google Play and iTunes. Her debut novel,
UNRAVELLED: Two wars. Two affairs. One marriage. is also available from
these retailers.
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