Reader Surveys
The chief cook and bottle washer at A Writer of History, also known as M.K. (Mary) Tod, has conducted international surveys examining reading habits, preferences, and interest in historical fiction on four separate occasions. How did this come about?
While writing Lies Told in Silence, I asked, “why do people read historical fiction?” and when I went looking, found almost nothing. That serendipitous question lead to the first historical fiction reader survey in 2012 and then to surveys two (2013), three (2015), and four (2018). Following each survey came interviews with authors, from famous to debut, with bloggers, and with readers. The resulting data and insights offer answers to this initial question and many others.
In addition, each year participants provided their favourite historical fiction authors and in 2015 readers also proposed favourite historical novels. Collectively more than 5,000 people responded from all corners of the world.
While the original intent was to inform my writing and blogging, over time the intent became to illuminate the genre for all stakeholders—readers, writers, bloggers, agents, editors, and others who constitute the reading ecosystem. Almost 100 posts on A Writer of History contain information and analysis based on the data.
Highlights from each year as well as the survey reports can be found below.
In March 2012, the first comprehensive survey of historical fiction reached more than 800 participants. The resulting survey data offered interesting perspectives on favourite authors, time periods and story types, the reading habits of men and women, and the growing influence of social media on reading.
Some 2012 survey highlights:
- From the World of Historical Fiction – Readers Share Their Perspectives offers a pdf summary of results
- Historical Fiction Would Be Better If … considers aspects that distract from readers’ enjoyment of historical fiction
- Historical Fiction Survey – where readers find recommendations includes a breakdown of preferred sources by category
- Connecting Readers and Writers further analyzes sources of recommendations
- Top Historical Fiction Authors – 2012 Survey Results lists 40 favourite authors
- Historical Fiction Survey – She Says, He Says highlights differences between female and male readers
More information about the survey can be found by searching categories such as Historical Fiction Survey, Connecting Readers & Writers, Top Historical Fiction Authors and Top Historical Fiction Sites.
In October 2013, the second comprehensive survey of historical fiction reached more than 2400 participants. Resulting survey data offers intriguing perspectives on favourite authors, time periods and story types, the reading habits of men and women, attitudes concerning pricing and indie books, and the growing influence of social media on all aspects of reading.
Posts about the survey include:
- 2013 Historical Fiction Survey Results provides a PDF document containing participant data in chart form along with highlights for each survey question.
- 2013 Favourite Historical Fiction Authors includes the top forty authors selected by survey participant. Men Have Their Say shows a male view of favourite authors.
- A Reader’s Paradise lists 312 reading related blogs and websites operated by survey participants.
- Favourite blogs and reading sites are also available.
I am grateful to Richard Lee, founder of the Historical Novel Society for supporting the 2013 survey. Through HNS, I have discovered a wealth of information on historical fiction and an incredibly robust community of readers and writers.
Read the full 2013 report here.
In April and May of 2015, the third comprehensive survey of historical fiction reached 2033 participants. Resulting survey data offers intriguing perspectives on the reading habits of men and women, historical fiction preferences, and the growing influence of social media on all aspects of reading. It also includes unique questions for authors, bloggers and publishing industry professionals.
Additional posts on 2015 results:
- The 2015 list of Favourite historical fiction authors
- Favourite Historical Fiction – for the first time readers were asked to provide up to three favourite historical novels and results were shared in this post and in a second post Favourite Historical Fiction Part 2.
- A recent look at boomer readers prompted quite a bit of reader interest
To read the 24 page survey report, click here.
In 2018, I conducted a fourth major reader survey. Topics covered: general reading habits, the selection and acquisition of books, the reading experience and the influence of social media on reading.
Highlights include:
- 2018 Survey attracted significant participation – a total of 2418 participants from various parts of the world weighed in with their opinions.
- As in prior years, the survey attracted high volume readers – 72% read more than 20 books a year; 55% read more than 30
- 49% of participants use social media regularly to support their reading
- Gender makes a difference – among the differences—women read more than men and use social media more regularly in support of reading; men and women prefer different types of stories and different non-fiction
- Print books remain popular – of 2418 participants, 75% frequently or exclusively use print books
- Not surprisingly, entertainment is the dominant reason for reading fiction
- Readers say that feeling immersed in the novel’s world is the most important factor for their reading
- The top two factors when choosing a book are Subject Matter and Genre
- Age makes a difference – among the differences – interest in fantasy decreases with age; the highest use of phone-based e-readers is for those between 30 and 50
- Friends are the top source for book recommendations – chosen by 61% of participants when asked for their top three sources
- For reading purposes, connecting with the author of a book is the social media functionality most valued by participants
You can read the full report here.
If you wish to browse further, use the search function to explore topics such as ‘historical fiction survey’, ‘favourite authors’ and ‘gender differences’. And if you have questions, get in touch here.
As a panelist speaking about WWI novels at the 2017 Historical Novel Society conference, I also conducted a survey on reading about WWI, including a question on favourite WWI novels.
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