When you blog, it’s hard to have a sense of who is out there listening. It’s also tricky when it comes to knowing what readers connect with and what they don’t. Conducting occasional surveys helps me to get a feel for regular readers (and helps me define what regular even means).
Results were really interesting. Of those who took the survey, 100% were female. You can see the age break down above. I was surprised and encouraged by the huge age range. Sometimes I wonder if the experiences of a middle-aged children’s author are meaningful to others. I worry I might not be talking broadly enough when I share my own writing “story”. Not only does the variety of readers tell me yes, you are engaged in what’s happening here, a number of you told me you come back to the blog for the following reasons:
I love the way you write about your creative process – it’s informed, purposeful, and yet so human.
Your honest voice, your encouragement, your stories…
I love the thoughtful articles on writing, the quotes, and links to good reading. And mostly, you.
I like the writing resources and your experiences with publishing/marketing your own books.
And my favorite:
You feel like an old friend.
83.3% of regular readers consider themselves an author or aspiring author. 66.7% are readers. As a result, you’re most interested in posts about writing, publication, and reading. Posts on historical fiction and inspirational quotes ranked close behind.
Most regular readers followed me over from Blogger, but many started reading in the last year or two.
Most first found my blog through Facebook…
… and visit a few times a month (You see from the chart above a “regular reader” can mean a lot of different things).
Almost all regular readers find out about new posts through Facebook, a reader, or through an email subscription (which is available as a sign up in the side bar).
More next time on some specific questions and comments readers shared.
For those of you who are regulars, a huge, huge thank you for letting me into your world and your inbox. There are a number of reasons why I continue to blog, and one of them is the satisfaction that comes from having an immediate audience (There’s no two-year lag time, like is often the case with a book). Thank you for listening and caring and responding. Thank you for loving my books and spreading the word. It means the world to me.
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You’re quite welcome, Caroline! I enjoyed your survey. It made me think about things I’ve never considered for my own blog.
Meanwhile, there’s a lively auction going on for your verse novel critique at 32auctions and it’s nearly over. I’m not surprised so many writers want to win. Good cause too.
It’s a wonderful cause. I’m thrilled there are enough verse novelists out there who are interested in a critique and able to make a dent in the funds being raised.
Interesting post! Thanks for sharing your findings to your survey!
Glad you found it interesting, too. I’m grateful for everyone who took the time to participate.