Silk Jones Reader Survey Results
Hi there:
I wanted to get you the results of the first ever Silk Jones Reader Survey I ever put out. The survey is still ongoing. These are the results for the 4th quarter of 2016.
I can't believe that 2016 is gone and we're already fully into January, 2017. It's almost too late to wish someone a happy new year. But I digress.
I'm really glad I took the survey. It helped me to learn a little bit about my readers and how I can give them more of what they like and less of what they don't. The readers who took the survey were very nice and, to my great relief, had nothing really negative to say.
How my readers find me.
746 members of my newsletter list responded to the survey. Of that amount, 513 (68%) readers found me through downloading The Interview on Instafreebie, 229 (30%) say they found me through Bookbub, 91 (12%) found me through other discount e-mail service sites, 79 (11%) found me through a friend online, 66 (9%) found me on a retailer website, and 37 (5%) found me through an online ad.
The numbers above don't add up so people must have learned about me and my books on multiple sites. But what's most interesting is that 229 readers say that they learned about me on Bookbub and I've never had a Bookbub ad. I do, however, have a profile on Bookbub that shows my books. I'm glad I signed up for that.
Which of my books have they read?
Of the 746 people who answered the survey 417 have read “The Interview” and only 163 have gone on to read “The Admin” – the next book in the Law Firm Masters Series. That means 329 people who responded to the survey had not yet read either of my books.
Where do my readers buy books?
81% buy them at Amazon, 5% buy books at Barnes & Noble, 5% buy books on iTunes and 4% buy books on Kobo. Strangely enough, 224 (30%) reported that they don't buy books anywhere.
What book formats (besides e-books) do my readers buy?
77% said they buy paperback books, 20% said they buy audiobooks, and 29% said that they buy hardback books. I was a bit surprised by these figures at first, but then I remembered that there are still a lot of people out there who prefer to hold books in their hands and turn pages rather than read them on e-readers and tablets.
Where do my readers live?
80% live in the U.S.. 6% in Europe, 5% in Canada, 3% in Australia, and 6% in South and Central America, Africa, Asia and other places. I'm happy that my books are being read all over the world.
What gender and age are my readers?
97% of those who responded to the survey are women and the vast majority of my readers (90%) are between the ages of 32 and 71. I found it interesting and heartening to learn that 15% of my readers were over 61 years old.
What genres do my readers read?
My readers enjoy a wide variety of genres: 90% enjoy erotic romance and erotica, 77% read contemporary romance, 65% enjoy romantic suspense, 41% read fantasy novels, 40% enjoy historical fiction, 22% enjoy women's fiction, 19% enjoy urban fiction, 17% enjoy legal thrillers and 33% enjoy other thrillers.
Those numbers don't surprise me as I too enjoy reading a variety of genres.
General comments
Several of my readers had good things to say about my books. They also said they couldn't wait for the final installment of Sir and Laura's story – The Admin II – which will be coming out soon. I am working on that now.
I appreciate the support and well wishes my readers expressed.
I hope you enjoyed this overview of the survey.
May you and yours enjoy a happy, healthy and prosperous new year.
Ciao,
Silk