Reading During The Pandemic: Poll Results

Thanks to all who responded to my Reading Habits poll! I've posted the results below. Please keep in mind that this survey was informal and in no way meant to be an accurate reflection of the industry as a whole. You can see my other informal surveys and polls here.

And here are the results....

Click to read more ...

Poll Results: What Editors and Agents Look For In Social Media

In prep for my Social Media Masterclass for Authors and Illustrators at SCBWI-Illinois, I posted a survey for editors, agents and art directors and 25 responded

Click to read more ...

Poll results: People still love print books but many also read digital/audio books for convenience

Last week, I asked you:

"In the past year, how have you read books? Check all that apply."

424 people responded. I opted for a multiple choice rather than "which do you prefer" for this poll to cut out the need to decide on a preference, plus it gets complicated because I would need to include different categories of reading; someone may prefer picture books in print, for example, but opt for a digital version of a novel for older readers.

Click to read more ...

Poll Results: 60% of you skip ahead to read the ending of a book

Thanks to all who responded to my most recent poll, which asked "While you're reading a book, have you EVER skipped ahead to read the ending?"

Out of 126 respondents, 60% (or rather 59.52, rounded up) of you replied YES, with the remaining 40% saying NO.

Click to read more ...

Quickie Anonymous Poll For Agents, Editors and Art Directors

To agents, editors and art directors out there: please take a few minutes to answer a short anonymous poll to help up-and-coming writers and illustrators?

Results will be discussed at the SCBWI-Florida Regional Conference, SCBWI Metro NY Chapter (Feb event) and SCBWI-LA Writer's Day as well as summarized in Inkygirl.com later this year.

For editors and art directors, I'm looking for those who are involved in the decision-making process re: book contracts or initial talent-scouting. Thank you SO MUCH!

You can find results to previous surveys in my Inkygirl Survey Archives.

Poll Results: Do You Dog-Ear Pages In Books?

Thanks to those who answered my dog-earing survey! Exactly 100 people responded. Here's what you said...

Click to read more ...

A survey: Do YOU dog-ear pages in books?

After posting the found object doodle below on FB, a flurry of comments (turns out I'm not the only one who has a strong emotional reaction to dog-eared pages in books :-)) prompted me to post this anonymous 1-question survey:

How do you feel about dog-earing pages? After you answer my anonymous 1-question poll, you'll see what others have said.

------

Curious about my other publishing industry surveys? Feel free to browse current and past Inkygirl Surveys online.

Survey Results: "How Did You Find Your Agent?" "What Resources Did You Find Useful In Researching Agents?"

In my recent survey, I asked those of you working with agents to answer a few questions about how you got your agent. Here's what you said...

Click to read more ...

Quickie anonymous poll for those of you with agents

I've been getting more people asking me for advice about how to get an agent, so in addition to updating my FAQ post about "Any advice on how to get an agent? How did YOU get your agent?", I've also posted a new survey.

If you're a children's/YA author or illustrator currently working with an agent, I'd very much appreciate it if you could take a few minutes to answer this quickie (multiple choice) anonymous poll about how you got your agent.

Results will be included in a future Inkygirl post.

Survey Results: Do you like having background noise while you're working?

In Inkygirl recently, I talked about how I'm sometimes more productive when I have sounds from a coffee shop playing in the background. Do you usually like to have background noise while you're working? If so, what type?

One-third of you prefer silence but the rest like some kind of background noise. Of the latter, 70% prefer ambient noise and 45% prefer music without lyrics.

These days, my favourite ambient noise tool is Coffivity. I've also recently signed up for Spotify, and use playlists like Indie Folk For Focus, Superior Study Playlist, Music For Concentration and Brain Food.

Next poll question: Are you giving any physical books this holiday season? (yes/no)

------

Curious about my other publishing industry surveys? Feel free to browse current and past Inkygirl Surveys online.

Survey Results: What Agents, Editors and Art Directors Look For Online

In prep for my workshop at CANSCAIP's Packaging Your Imagination, I asked literary agents, editors and art directors a few questions about whether they research potential clients, authors and illustrators online and what they look for. 18 editors (some of whom also look for picture book illustrators), 8 agents and 2 art directors responded.

Here's what they said:

QUESTION: When you are considering taking on a new client/author/illustrator, do you ever research them online?

77% of respondents said that when they are considering taking on a new client, author and illustrator, they ALWAYS research them online. The rest said they sometimes do.

QUESTION: If you do online research before signing on a client/author/illustrator, has your research ever made you decide NOT to sign them on?

62% said that YES, they have decided to reject someone after researching them online. Some said that while they hadn't yet rejected someone after online research, they would definitely think twice about signing with someone who posts a lot of negativity (see below) or posts "with cringe-inducing syntax."

OTHER COMMENTS:

In this section, I invited respondents to volunteer additional comments, including turn-ons and turn-offs, what they look for during online research.

The following respondents gave me permission to use their names.

Christie Harkin, Consultant Publisher at Clockwise Press:

"I have been turned off by authors/illustrators who bad-mouth their editors/publishers/agents. It is amazing to me when I see this on Facebook. Even if you don't mention your editor/publisher by name, it is usually very obvious to whom you are referring. I would definitely think twice about taking on someone who did this. Also, I look for authors/illustrators who are generous in sharing news about others in the community. People who only post promo about their own books (BUY MY BOOK! LOOK AT MY STUFF!) are not generally as well-received or connected with the larger community. If you are a new or emerging creator, you need to be engaging with others who are also plugged in to the kidlit world."

Andrew Karre, Editorial Director at Carolrhoda Books/Lerner ( December 11, 2014 update: Andrew is joining Dutton Children's Books as executive editor on Jan. 12):

"An extent online presence is not a necessity. It's gravy. But . . . I place a certain amount of value on a social media presence that seems human and natural and interesting. A Twitter stream that is full of interesting engaged conversations on a variety of topics--even topics other than books--is somewhat more interesting to me than one that is all review links and retweets. I don't much care how many followers. (Unless, of course, it's a huge number, because I am not an idiot about what that means.)"

Carol Hinz, Editorial Director at Millbrook Press:

"I'm not necessarily looking for something in particular when I look up an author or illustrator. I simply want to find out if the person has a web presence and, if so, what it is. It's also helpful to get a sense of what else they've done, how they present themselves, whether they do school visits, and what helpful connections they may have (whether it's with other writers, educators, booksellers, etc.) when it comes to book promotion." 

Other Comments:

NOTE: Most of the respondents answered anonymously but to avoid the awkward he/she decision, I decided to use "he" or "she" randomly.

One agent said she decided not to request material from previously published authors who got combative with reviewers. Another respondent said that while he hadn't yet rejected a project based on online research, he may make a note to discuss proper online etiquette with that particular author or illustrator. "But I believe the day is coming where my online research will make me answer 'no' when I question, 'Do I love this book enough to want to deal with THIS'?"

Another respondent said that online research sometimes makes her ask more questions, change the direction or focus of the conversation, dig deeper ("and not always in a negative way"), sometimes for the benefit of both of them and sometimes in ways that lead to more meaningful partnerships.

"Biggest turn-off: Writers who get argumentative and/or rude with reviewers and bloggers online. I also look at blog and social media posts that see how the writer comes across in their daily interactions. I'm wary when a writer acts rude, cynical, prejudiced, or pessimistic on social media. That's not to say that people can't have down moments, but if their overall feeds are full complaints and abuse toward others, it's an immediate "no." I've been lucky, though, to have found clients who are all positive, dedicated writers open to criticism and growing in their craft."

"I'm usually just looking for more information and/or to confirm my initial impression. I do notice if someone writes extensively about the writing and publication process ("got another rejection today!") or if he/she does a lot of self-publishing. Neither of these are deal-breakers at all, but they present unique challenges. I actually do most of my sleuthing with agents and agencies, and in that case I do judge if I see a lot of awful self-published covers (but again, may still work with them). Also, I assume writers and agents research me online but the less I'm reminded of that, the better—like don't start every email to me by mentioning something I've posted on Facebook. I don't like the feeling of someone friending me on social media in order to 'gain access.'"

"I look for obviously divisive posts, things that I see that I think would turn off a readership. Professionalism online is important, and also gives me an idea of what you'd be like to work with. I also look to see how you interact with others on your blog/twitter/site whether or not you acknowledge people who leave comments or tweet with you."

"Turn offs= being unprofessional/rude/inappropriate in a public online setting. Why would I want someone with that type of behavior linked to me as an agent and the agency as a whole?"

"When researching someone online, I'm generally just looking to flesh out my knowledge of that person in advance of a possible acquisition. I'm not actually looking for trouble spots, just maybe things to discuss at an IRL meeting with colleagues (sales points) or with the author themselves (small talk). When it's an illustrator, particularly; I do a lot of triage online before anyone's necessarily aware that I'm looking - I use online portfolios to identify leads. I'd advise artists to have as much art available to view online as possible. Use places like deviantart if you don't have a well-maintained personal site or an illustration agent with a good easily searchable site. Probably use deviantart even if you do. The easier your work is to find, the more work you'll pick up. I've been involved in acquisitions where a Google search turned up a certain amount of Internet Drama. It never really influenced the decision - we signed people up each time. I could imagine scenarios in which it would be a deal-breaker - for example, if we discovered that an author was a Neo-Nazi, that wouldn't play well - but none of them has so far come to pass. Incidentally, I think the situation in which duly diligent research is crucial is if you are an author or illustrator being offered work by a publisher or agent. You need to check out the bona fides of the person or company asking to contract with you, because there are an awful lot of sharks out there." - @iucounu on Twitter

"Turn ons - lots of work with the same energy and talent that brought the illustrator to my attention in the first place. Turn offs - samples that look dated, have styles that are very different and less appealing to me than the first sample I saw, very few samples."

"Online turn-offs: people who tweet way too often, people who only speak and don't engage others in conversation, people who are far too self-promotey, people who share way too much of their personal lives, people who are far too neurotic (tweeting constantly about writing woes and insecurities), people who are far, far, far too negative about anything and everything, and the biggest of all: people who feel the need to insult other writers/houses/editors/agents. Oh, and also, writers who quote themselves online. Online turn-ons: people who engage in meaningful discussion (without hitting me on the head with a hammer), people who find that balance between an online persona and being who they really are, people more interested in building a community than shilling their work, people who are endlessly supportive of fellow writers (without being obnoxious about it). What I really want to learn when I research a writer online is what they're after. Did they write the book to jump on the gravy train, hoping it would be the quick path to fame and fortune? Did they write the book because they scoff at the genre they just wrote and wanted to prove anyone could do it? Or is this someone who is serious about building a writing career and not just receiving the adulation of thousands of strangers? THAT'S the writer I want to work with. Someone dedicated to their craft and not their number of Facebook friends or Twitter followers."

(On whether they have rejected someone after online research) "Not if I really, really love the book, but if an author has exhibited abrasive or unpleasant behavior online, it definitely makes me think twice about signing them. When I sign someone, I'm not just signing up the project--I'm going to have to work with the author for a long time, and I prefer not to invite a headache into my life. While a great web presence is a definite plus, I'd never turn someone down for a lackluster web presence. But if I discover combative, difficult behavior, etc, I have to decide if this person is worth the unpleasantness they'll likely bring to my life. Because people are usually consistent--ie, if they're unpleasant to some people, they'll probably be unpleasant to me too if and when any difficulties in our working relationship arise."

-----

Curious about my other publishing industry surveys? Feel free to browse current and past Inkygirl Surveys online.

Productivity tool: Coffee shop sounds, creative productivity and Coffitivity - and a poll

Survey: Do you like background noise while you're working?

Don't know about the rest of you, but I find my background noise preference depends heavily on what I'm working on. When I'm illustrating and am past the early sketch stages, I listen to audiobooks or have episodes of a previously-watched tv shows playing on my second monitor; the key for me is to have something interesting enough for variety but not TOO interesting to distract me from work.

For early creative stages and for writing, I used to prefer silence. These days, however,  I like to have something going on in the background, especially if my work day has been especially long. Music with English lyrics is too distracting, so I listen to Italian progrock but even that can start driving me crazy after a while.

One of my favorite background sounds for intense creative work? Coffee shop noise: murmured conversations, movement, muted clatter of cups and cutlery. I also find having people around who are DOING things stimulating, and I'm less likely to start daydreaming or slack off. I used to go to real-life coffee shops to do my writing, but this has downsides. The expense, for one thing, plus sometimes the conversations taking place around me are a tad TOO interesting.

Looks as if I'm not the only one who finds coffee shops and coffee shop sounds motivating:

How The Hum Of A Coffee Shop Can Boost Creativity - by Anahad O'Connor in The New York Times

Why Some Of Us Get More Done At Coffee Shops - by Kevin Purdy on Lifehacker

Coffitivity Plays Ambient Coffee Shop Noise To Boost Your Productivity - by Melanie Pinola on Lifehacker

For others who like coffee shop sounds in the background while they work, here's one solution:

Coffitivity: Just opening up the website page will start up the sounds of a coffee shop, and you can also get free apps for iOS, Droid and Mac desktop. I prefer the latter because I don't like having my browser open while working because it's too tempting to "just check one more website."

There are choices of other sounds as well, like a campus cafe and lunchtime lounge. Coffitivity has also invited the community to submit sounds to share, so I expect we'll get more choices soon.

How about the rest of you? Do you prefer silence? If not, what do you like to listen to while you work? I'd appreciate you taking a few minutes to answer my 1-2 multiple question poll: Do you prefer background noise while you work?

I'll post results in an upcoming Inkygirl post.

Poll Results: Kids' Books For Adults?

After reading a New York Times article about adult-themed children's book parodies for adults, I asked you all how you felt about kids' books for adults. Thanks to all who participated. Most of you are neutral to iffy about them. One person says that children's book parodies make a fair amount of money for the bookstore where he or she works.

Like any book, there are good ones and bad ones. "I think it's a great way to reconnect with the books you loved (or perhaps hated) as a child. The best parodies carry and underlying mature-themed message or commentary on the world, post-childhood innocence," one respondent said.

More details and comments:

Nearly 32% of you weren't crazy about adult-themed children's book parodies. 26% didn't mind, 13% didn't care, 11% of you love them, 8% hatehateHATE them.

Some of your comments:

"I'm not crazy about them personally, but they make a fair amount of money for the bookstore I work at."

"The punning of the titles always makes me laugh and admire the wit of the person who dreamt them up, but for me the humour is more in the fact of them than the contents of the books. I enjoy seeing them at till points and on tables in humour sections of bookshops but wouldn't go as far as to actually buy one unless it was very cheap or as e.g. a Secret Santa gift."

"I find them sort of pointless. Good for a "heh" in the bookstore, but are you really going to treasure them for years? - @electricland"

"If they're done well enough, they can be fun, but too often I'd be horrified if my kids found and read them - and since they look like kids' books, if they found them they would probably read them. Some could be hurtful. Many just confusing."

"I am entertained but I think the authors need to take more care than they do with their parodies. Mum bought me Goodnight iPad and it doesn't do a good job with the scansion. I think this is a legacy of being Phil's partner - if you're going to Filk something, DO IT RIGHT! I printed out a copy of the additional text someone has written for The Very Hungry Caterpillar with the intention of reading it in a filk circle, and I'd probably buy it if it came out as a book."

"True parodies for adults are great - if shelved in the right section. But I HATE finding them in with the other picture books. And the ones that then go the other way, and try to adapt the parody for adults into something suitable for kids? I've never seen one that worked. - @IshtaWrites"

"I think they perpetuate the belief that a children's book is somehow less of a 'real' book because it's for a child."

"I think it's a fad so far, kicking out clever novelty items, similar to novelty records. It might continue on for a while in the same way Weird Al Yankovic keeps spitting out CDs, but I don't see it becoming a market segment. I think within this small sub-genre there is room for works that are not satirical and snarky, but more thought provoking. It could be a way to make a point regarding some social issue for example, but that market will also only support a very limited number of titles."

"I think it's a great way to reconnect with the books you loved (or perhaps hated) as a child. The best parodies carry and underlying mature-themed message or commentary on the world, post-childhood innocence. I just read The Taking Tree yesterday and loved it."

"Yeah, why not? I guess I've got a chuckle out of one or two of them. I try not to get angry at people who are having fun wrong. @aiabx"

"Would you include Go the Bleep to Sleep in this category? It was a fun one-time-read, but I didn't feel it was worth producing as a book and having on the shelf. Feel the same way about Sense and Sensibility and Zombies, though. A joke taken much too far. Cheapens and deadens a text I love. - Aino Anto"

"Wrote 3! Picture books for adults so simple (but layered) that even a child could understand. Works at many levels."

"I think they can be clever, but more often than not, they're gimmicky and annoying. I have never purchased one."

----------------

You can also see other current and past surveys in the Inkygirl Survey Archives.

Poll Results: How Many Books You Read At The Same Time

Last week on Twitter and Facebook, I asked how many books people were reading right now. I specified books that you were at least partway through and planned to keep reading within the next month. What I hadn't taken into account: the number of editors out there -- several of you said you didn't answer the survey because you were in the midst of reading a LOT of manuscripts. :-)

I was relieved to find out how many others have multiple books on the go. I have at least one print book in pretty much every room in our house, plus I also read books on my iPhone, my Kindle and my iPad.

Most of you have at least 2 books on the go, with 3% having more than 20 (!!!). The majority are in the midst of reading 3-10 books.

@janhoffman29 says that all the book she's reading (5) are about improving her writing, illustrating or teaching methods stronger, or for her understanding of the app generation.

@edenza says she's actively into 3-4 and has at least 3 on "standby," which is her usual. 

From my friend @randbellavia: "26 on my Kindle alone -- I didn't even bother to count the physical books." The other respondent who checked the "More than 20" answer choice was @Aimeeereid.

@nobilis says he's reading 5 and adds: "It's really too many. Reading books by @planetx, @riznphnx, @teemonster and @philippajane, @cmpriest and LeGuin."

Several of you also posted comments on Facebook but I didn't include them here because I wasn't sure if you minded me sharing them. Always comment via my survey form if you don't mind your feedback being shared; you can remain anonymous or you can include your name/Twitter id/website.

------

You can also see other current and past surveys in the Inkygirl Survey Archives.

Quickie Poll Results: Strange Things That People Use As Bookmarks

Earlier in the weekend, I asked what you used as bookmarks in the last print book that you read. 42% said that you just used a regular bookmark. 9% said you fold back the corner of a page (GAH!!!). 6% said you didn't use any bookmark. The rest used irregular bookmarks (see comments below). I also asked people to list the most unusual item they've ever used as a bookmark.

Glad to see that I'm not the only one who has used my Kindle to mark my place in a print book. I do have a large collection of bookmarks, but more often I just grab whatever nearby object's handy to use to mark my place.

Here's a list of items that some of you said you've used as bookmarks in the past:

"Reading glasses (bonus: you also know where your reading glasses are). @amgamble"

"My wife used the dustjacket flap, which may be grounds for divorce. - @RonCharles"

"Candy wrapper. @ConnieBDowell"

"Another book, probably. Maybe that's not all that unusual. @jenhoward"

"My Kindle? True story. Or my reading glasses. I have also used clothing items. @janflora"

"A botched square from my string quilt project @krwhimsy"

"A Burger King straw, still in the wrapper. It was all I had on hand at the time. Still, CoffeeandKiwis on Twitter."

"Leaf I pulled off of a tree @MomDude56"

"An old photograph I found in a used book: three fierce-looking men standing in front of a Model T Ford."

"Another book! @rfarrenbarber"

"Leaf or twig while on the dock at the cottage @SuzanneDelRizzo"

"A sock @CMLasswell"

"Probably a hair tie - it was an emergency and the first thing that came to hand."

"(clean) tissue"

"A knitting pattern chart! Though I don't suppose that's actually 'unusual' when it's marking your place in a knitting book... @Knitronomicon"

"A pokemon card! @katefall"

"Anything that comes to hand: sticky notes, stick flags, tissues, napkins, old train tickets, receipts, photos, old Metrocards, paper money (usually just a one-dollar bill). I have plenty of real, purpose-built bookmarks, but they are never where I need them."

"I make my own by tearing reply cards into narrow strips."

"Reading in the car at kid's soccer practice, used the tow truck operator's business card that he left after last repair."

"I often use bits of paper my kids have doodled on. They make me smile. @jenhoward"

"I like to use old hotel key-cards (or similar - used gift cards, etc.). They're good and sturdy! (@JBD1)"

"Yes, I marked them all, which seems ridiculous, but I do them all and I did most of them to the recent book. I have tons of bookmarks, but I often fall asleep reading, so the book falls shut or I just grab a piece of paper in a hurry. And I have a book laying upside down and open beside me now. Note: I don't think I cornered the book I just finished, but had to check it out of residual guilt because that was a habit my mom always reprimanded me for as a child ("A tree died for that book!"). I did fold a bottom corner (of the laying open book--so bad!) to mark a quote I need to find later (guiltguiltguilt). @janflora"

"I used a letter from my girlfriend. It's still in my copy of No Plot? No Problem!. I'm CoffeeandKiwis on Twitter."

"Airplane boarding pass @MomDude56"

"I used one of my own promotional postcards..."

"One of those post-it sticky arrows."

"I usually use those "subscribe" postcards that fall out of magazines like the New Yorker. @annerallen"

"(My irregular bookmark was my chiropractor's business card). @dragonwrites"

"I made mini bookmarks from Moo mini cards to accompany promo materials. I always keep a few for myself ??@SuzanneDelRizzo"

"Don't fold the corner!! I used a glossy promotional card that was given to me by an author. @CMLasswell"

"Discarded backing paper from a sticker."

"I like The Last Line bookmarks that slip over a few pages - they stay in place and there's nothing sticking out to get caught and dislodged. Unfortunately, I don't think they're made any more... @Knitronomicon"

"Bookmark from the (indie!) bookstore where I purchased the book. @wisekaren"

"Kleenex"

--------------

Also see the list of other Inkygirl survey results.

Quickie Poll Results: Ending Peekers and Emoticon Parentheses

Last weekend, I asked on Twitter how many people sometimes peeked at the ending while they were reading a book. 67% of you said YES. Shame on you cheaters! (Ok, I secretly admit that I've done it once. BUT ONLY ONCE.)

Another quickie survey question I asked a while back was about the use of emoticons and parentheses. My question: "If you were going to add a prenthesis to an emoticon at the end of a sentence, which would you use?

The choices:

A) Squirrels are evil and taking over my backyard (and the world :)

B) Squirrels are evil and taking over my backyard (and the word :))

A whopping 93% of you chose (B).

I'm with the majority, if you're curious.

Thanks to all who participated!

-----------

You can also see other current and past surveys in the Inkygirl Survey Archives.

Quickie Survey Results: Have You Seen Young People Reading Ebooks?

I recently did a quickie poll on Twitter asking the following:

Q. Have you seen a young person reading a book on a digital device in the past year? (where a "young person" is teenager or younger)?

Approximately half of the respondents said yes:

Some of the comments:

"Have seen students read on phones, iPads and ereaders." - @stein_valerie

"As a teacher, I regularly us ebooks to engage reluctant readers - YA and Middle Grade. Adding a layer of technology like a tablet or ereader can give kids who don't see themselves as readers a reason to at least try to read. From there, it's up to the story to engage them and keep them reading until the end."

"My 7 year old asked for an e-reader for Christmas. An e-reader mind you, not an app or internet enabled tablet. She loves the 'magic' of getting new books instantly without leaving home. No down time between Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie, priceless."

"Yes, on books, tablets, computers and phones- not really kindled though that might be my area." - @mz_christie

"My 5 year old likes reading ebooks with dad when he is away on business, over Skype. They each have a copy of the book on an iPad and can turn pages together. But the kids don't read on their own on ebook devices (too expensive to allow unfettered access!)"

"Yes, if my own kids count and they are using my device (with books I downloaded for them.) They never ask if they can read on my Nook. I've never seen a child in the wild reading on a digital device. Playing games...yes. Reading, no."

"Hard to tell on the subway WHAT a child is doing on an iPad, but it seems to always be games. I still see kids with pbooks, though!"

"Handy for teens reading public domain works for school." - @bhalpin

Please note that results would probably differ for a general public survey. My Twitter followers are almost all readers themselves, including teachers and librarians.

-------

You can also see other current and past surveys in the Inkygirl Survey Archives.

Book-Buying Poll Results: Content is king, whether a book is self-published or not

I had originally intended for this to be a quickie poll in my series of Informal Surveys/Polls About Writing, Reading and Publishing but realized that for a topic like this, there is no such thing as a quickie poll. The topic is clearly a pretty sensitive subject, and some people automatically assumed that I was out to discredit books that had been self-published. Yikes.

For the record, I have bought self-published books. Some were very good (like Cheryl Rainfield's YA novel, Parallel Visions, and Galleycat recently listed some top children's books by indie authors) and some were not so good. I am going to be self-publishing a compilation of my writer comics (my agent at Curtis Brown is helping me with this).

I know there are many out there who sneer at those who self-publish, but I am not one of them. As I said, there are some very excellent self-published books. But there are also many, many bad self-published books. Overcoming that stigma will be a challenge for indie authors until there are easier and better-known ways to separate the good from the bad. 

The "Us vs. them" hostility (on both sides of the equation) frustrates me. It's not productive, it sparks flamewars, it only widens the gap between those  publishing with traditional houses and those who go the indie route. The truth is that more writers are starting to experiment with doing both. It's a choice.

And whether you choose to go indie or traditional with any particular book, your focus should always be on quality content. There are many good resources online to help; please feel free to post suggestions below. NOTE: I will not tolerate flamewars in the comments section so if you post a hostile or abusive message, whether pro- or anti- indie publishing, I WILL REMOVE IT/NOT APPROVE IT FOR POSTING.

But on to the poll results....

I knew when I posted the poll that the results would probably skew toward those who already had an interest in self-publishing (whether positive or negative). However, I was mainly curious about the people who bought a book they knew was self-published (and DIDN'T know the author/illustrator), and why they did so....I figured the results would give some useful info about book discovery, and that info could help indie authors.

However, some pointed out that some self-published books out there that don't LOOK self-published, so how would people KNOW if they had bought a self-published book? Also, some pointed out my poll answer choices didn't cover the scenario where a traditionally published author decided to go the self-publishing route. I'm sure there were many other situations that my limited yes/no type of choices didn't cover.

With the above in mind, here are the results of my poll:

141 people participated in the poll and of these, 78% said they had bought a self-published book. 

Of those who bought a self-published book, 42.5% said they made the purchase because they knew the author and/or illustrator, and wanted to support them.

I was mainly interested in the remaining 57.5%, who had bought a book but weren't familiar with the author and/or illustrator, or said that knowing the author and/or illustrator was not a factor in their purchase decision. 

Of these purchases:

67.7% were digital, 27.7% were print and 3.1% were digital AND print. One person wasn't sure.

The most interesting part of the results, at least for me, were the reasons that people bought these books. Here are some of the reasons:

37.5% -- Word-of-mouth recommendations

31.3 % -- A review

20.4% -- The book was $2.99 or less.

10.9% -- The cover.

9.4% -- The book was free, so they figured they had nothing to lose.

Other reasons listed in the open-ended comments section, from most popular:

Liked the sample excerpt.

Non-fiction book about a unique topic.

Fan of the author. Author had traditionally published in the past but had decided to self-publish a new book or a sequel to a traditionally published series.

Story description or blurb intrigued them.

Amazon suggestion based on other books they had bought.

Fan of the author's blog.

Met the author in person or saw their presentation at a convention/in-store event.

Book recommended by publication or blog.

Book was subject of a controversy.

SUMMARY:

By far, most of the people who commented said that their book purchase decision was made because they liked the sample excerpt. 

Second-most common reason: because the book offered them content they couldn't easily get elsewhere...in nonfiction, this involved a niche topic. In fiction, it was because an author they liked was offering more of his or her writing.

So in the end, people don't really care whether a book is self-published or not. What matters: quality content.

 -------------

Also see my other Inkygirl Surveys and Polls about reading, writing and publishing.

Survey results: 49% survey respondents feel negatively re: Amazon's acquisition of Goodreads

Last week, I asked you how you felt about Amazon's acquisition of Goodreads.

143 responded: 64% describe yourselves as writer and/or illustrators, 31% are teachers or librarians, 11% are editors, 6% publishers, 2% booksellers. As you can tell from the numbers, some of you wear more than one hat.

The question: Amazon and Goodreads have announced that Amazon will be acquiring the book-based social networking site. How do you feel about it?

What you said:

I posted the survey immediately after the announcement, but I suspect that if I had posted it after Laura Hazard Owen's interview with Amazon and Goodreads, less people would have voted negative. If I was voting? Not sure yet. I love the idea of being able to rate books on Goodreads from my Kindle, but one of the strengths of Goodreads (in terms of brand) was that everyone knew it was indie. This was even more important after all the controversy about Amazon culling book reviews and authors manipulating their Amazon rankings.

According to LHO's interview on Paidcontent, Amazon says that Goodreads will remain an independent subsidiary of Amazon, like IMDB. Thing is, people and sites that use IMDB don't tend to be direct competitors with Amazon. Will all those competing sites/companies be willing to continue supporting Goodreads?

I may post this survey again a year from now, to compare.

And I wouldn't be surprised if, at this very moment, there is someone out there who is working on filling the space left by the Goodreads acquisition: a book reviews site with the potential reach of Goodreads...but that is still independent.

Some comments from survey respondents:

"One of the wonderful things about GoodReads is that it was completely independent of any bookseller, publisher, author and it was reader driven. I could go there and get honest reviews and recommendations without having to worry that they were influenced by the bottom dollar. Now here's another good thing ruined by a major corporation."

"Neutrally optimistic? I don't much care, it might be a little interesting from the outside. I don't use GoodReads, though I have an account, and I use Kindle very little - no gadget and I tend to read through calibre or FBReader rather than the app."

"My worry is Amazon is already the thousand pound gorilla in this industry and readers, and especially writers, need some independent tools. Goodreads has been a reliable one of these, precisely because it isn't a direct seller, so it maintains independence. Losing this is a shame."

"People have pointed out that Amazon does not have a history of buying companies and then running them into the ground like other large companies, so I'm holding out hope for goodreads (which I just recommended to some of my students)."

"Will wait to see what changes are made. There have been a lot of complaints about issues at Goodreads. They might be fixed now, might be better or worse. BUT.. I wish esp. writers/pubs would stop the OMG the sky is falling everytime Amazon farts. If it was Apple or B&N there would have been silence. It gets really old."

"So far, they haven't ruined my fave bookstore, The Book Depository, and I was greatly afraid when they bought that. I only use Goodreads to really keep track of my reading... ...however, I'm not keen on Amazon buying just everything - that doesn't make me very happy - but it's a good excuse to gracefully bow out of Goodreads; I cannot STAND the whole Amazon rating/review things, and the crazy it inspires in authors, and if that's coming to town, I'm out."

"If I wanted to review books for Amazon I would. If I wanted Amazon to mine my data and reading habits I'd have a kindle."

"It all depends on whether Amazon changes or limits the experience."

"Cautious, sad they're only taking care of Kindles."

"Cautiously pessimistic?"

"They'll probably want to link everything to one profile--all my reviews and conversations. Just as they want to link my kindle! I don't want my book reviews linked to the stuff I write about vacuum cleaners or underwear. Bah."

"Best-case scenario: the acquisition will be a positive one for those who already use Amazon and have Kindles, and that it won't affect those of us who only use Goodreads at all. But I'll still be keeping an ear to the ground about possible replacements, just in case Amazon makes too many sweeping changes to what is a great site as-is."

"I don't trust Amazon. The jury is out. I'm concerned."

---------------------------------

Also see my other Inkygirl surveys.

Inkygirl survey results: how you discovered books this year

A while ago, I asked how you all discover books to read. 239 responded. 

Here's what you said:

Q: How do you discover new books to read?

Keep in mind that most of the respondents are kidlit/YA and/or publishing industry people. 71% describe themselves as writers, 16% book bloggers, 13% teachers, 9% librarians, 8% illustrators, 7% editors, 2% publishers, 1% agents.

Word of mouth was the the most popular way that people said they discovered new books to read.

Many said that they discover books by browsing library and bookstore shelves as well as recommendations from librarians and booksellers. Quite a few mentioned Amazon recommendations and NPR. Others mentioned talk shows like Oprah, television interviews, NPR reviews & discussions, publisher catalogs, Audible.com author blogs, individual author blogs, when book awards are announced,  library discards, book clubs, radio reviews, favorite blogs that also recommend books, literature courses, book calendars, books encountered while doing research, panels and discussions at conventions, book swaps, publisher & bookseller previews.

 The goal of these surveys is to help writers in their craft and business, and results are always posted here on Inkygirl.

For past survey results, see the Inkygirl Survey Archives.