Thanks to all who took my (very) informal reading poll at the beginning of the year. 217 responded. Keep in mind that I am not a professional survey-maker, and my reach was limited to my own social media…so be wary about drawing broad conclusions. After the first few hours, I also added freeform comment boxes at the end of each major section, as some of you suggested. Because of this, however, I ended up with a TON of freeform comments. 😁 I lack time to organize or summarize these, but have included a sampling in this post, for others interested in browsing.
Before I share the results, I also thought I’d chime in from a book creator’s point of view about book promotion: One of the goals of this informal survey was to help authors and illustrators who are looking for ways to connect with readers and gatekeepers.
One of my books launched from Simon & Schuster BFYR yesterday (I’M BUSY, written by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by me), and I put together a “our book launches today!” video and other graphics to post across all my social media. Of Bluesky, Facebook, and Instagram, there wasn’t really a single stand-out social media platform for me, in terms of engagement, though my post was shared the most often on Bluesky and Liked the most of Facebook. Threads, however, was a stand-out failure with a single (as in 1) Like and no other engagement…despite me tagging my publisher. To be fair to Threads, however, I should point out that I’m not nearly as active on that platform.
Some takeaways:
- By far, libraries and bookstores were cited as the main places where you discovered books you wanted to read.
- Almost all of you read books in print format, but over 70% also read ebooks/digital format, nearly half listen to audiobooks.
- Approximately a quarter of you said that booksellers and librarians helped you discover books you wanted to read. Browsing bookstores and libraries were also a major influence. 59% said they discovered books through a featured display at a library or bookstore. 48% said that staff picks and shelf talkers were also a factor in book discovery.
- Social media helped people discover books. 82% said they discovered books through social media posts, and 72% said these posts were by authors and illustrators. 25% said book-focused social media like BookTok and Bookstagrams were a factor.
- Has an ad in a print/online or paid boosted social media post ever made you want to read a book? 59% said no. 24% said yes, from an online ad. 19% said yes, an ad in a print publication. 12% said yes, a boosted post in Facebook.
- Blogs or online book review sites (71%) helped you discover a book you wanted to read. Professional reviews in publications (66%). 28% of you said that podcasts about books helped you discover titles you wanted to read.
- Curated reading lists (age-based, themed-based etc), award winners or nominees, and “best of the year” lists helped you discover books you want to read.
- Covers matter! 75% of you said that you discovered a book you wanted to read because of its cover.
For those who want to see everything, here are nitty-gritty results of the informal survey…
Question: Which of the following best describes you, as a reader?
Nearly 40% of you are book creators. 25% are educators and/or librarians. 18% are parents or caregivers of young readers. 13% are reviewers, bloggers, or book influencers.
Question: In general, do you find you read for pleasure more or less than you did five years ago?
45% of you say you read for pleasure more than you did five years ago. 15% said less. The rest said it was about the same (one person said they weren’t sure).
Many said they were reading more intentionally, purposely avoiding or cutting down the amount of time they spend reading stressful content (like daily news). Some said they were trying to spend less time reading online content, and also trying to spend less time looking at their phones. Many said they were having trouble focusing on reading for pleasure, because of all the “horrible things happening in the world.”
Question: Do you read to others?
The majority (60%) do not read to others. 17% say they read to their children, 11% read to grandchildren, 18% read to children outside of their own family and relatives, 9% read to adults.
Question: Why types of books did you enjoy in the past 12 months?
Note that people could select multiple types.
Fiction was the most popular type of pleasure reading by far, followed by non-fiction, picture books, fiction stories, and poetry.
Question: Where did you find this reading material?
Note that people could select multiple sources.
More than 80% said they borrowed books from the library.
77% bought books from an indie bookstore.
42% bought books from Amazon.
25% bought books from Barnes & Noble.
17% obtained ARCs via Edelweiss, Netgallery, or similar platforms.
Other reading sources included gifts (both print and digital), online subscriptions, other chain bookstores, garage sales, used bookstores and thrift stores (both online and in-person), free downloads, library book sales, regional large bookstores, Free Little Libraries, classroom libraries, book swaps, physical arcs.
Question: For books, in which formats do you read?
Note that people could select multiple formats.
97% said they read print books, 71% said digital/ebooks, 45% said audiobooks.
Question: Anything else you’d like to add about how you read books, that wasn’t covered above?
“I’d love to read more comics but they’re so expensive I usually just end up giving them as gifts!”
“The great thing about Hoopla (the library app I use) is that not only is it entirely free, but it suggests books I might like based on what I’ve borrowed. In my experience, the algorithm is spot-on. I’ve often “discovered” a book before it is the next big thing (example: I read Frieda McFadden’s The Housemaid months ago, and recommended it to all my friends, who then thought I was a book psychic once it caught on!)”
“I like BookFunnel and that’s how I primarily read digitally. I prefer print and will do audiobooks when my husband and I drive somewhere long distance.”
“If I’m not hooked by 100 pages, I abandon ship.”
“Some books were gifted, others I’ve had for years waiting to be read (but still mostly bought from used/independent places, rather than Amazon)”
“Most books I read are checked out from the library through Libby/Overdrive, but I also buy books from indie bookstores (especially when on vacation!) and rarely from Amazon. I have library cards from three different library systems. :-)”
“I’m finding I try and find a secondhand copy instead of buying new anymore, even for newer books.”
Question about “word-of-mouth” discovery: Which of the following (if any) types of recommendations from people you know in person helped you discover a book you wanted to read?
Recommendation from a personal friend or family member: 97%
Recommendation from a librarian (in person): 26%
Recommendation from a bookseller (in person): 25%
Recommendation from a teacher (in person): 9%
Question about Libraries and Bookstore Browsings: Which of the following (if any) helped you discover a book you wanted to read?
Browsing at a bookstore: 79%
Browsing at a library: 64%
Featured display at a library or bookstore: 59%
Staff picks / shelf talkers: 48%
Question about Online Retail & Algorithms: Which of the following (if any) helped you discover a book you wanted to read?
Online retailer recommendations (e.g., “You might also like…”): 61%
Preorders or alerts from an online retailer: 47%
Online retailer bestseller lists: 35%
Question about Social Media & Online Communities: Which of the following (if any) helped you discover a book you wanted to read?
Social media posts (e.g., Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Bluesky, X): 82%
Author or illustrator social media: 72%
Book-focused social media (e.g. BookTok, Bookstagram): 25%
Additional ways people discovered books they wanted to read:
– Book podcasts, professional journals, Goodreads giveaways (“even if I don’t win, I find good books that way to buy), starred reviews, end-of-year “best” of lists including Betsy Bird, NSTA etc, LRB, mentions or reviews in magazines, Substack or similar platforms, book club picks, book blogs, book reviews mostly online, CBC (” I often hear a book reviewed on CBC and place a library hold and it comes in months later at which point i have forgotten about the hold. Similarly I hear about non fiction on podcasts.”), Bookstagram, solicitations by publicists to interview creators and review the books, book nerd pals, librarian social media, Bluesky (several mentioned Bluesky but one person didn’t find it useful), School Library Journal lists, forums, Discord, bloggers, websites devoted to specific genres, LibraryThing, Storgraph, FB groups (For The Love Of Middle Grade, Let’s Talk Books), “social media”social media recommendations by celebrities who are not authors necessarily but whose taste I like or trust,” publisher emails, videos on Youtube (“like NPR”), library catalog and lists, Goodreads, Dense discovery newsletter and storygraph.
– “I am only on BlueSky. I am lucky to have a family filled with readers. We frequently share what we read. I have borrowing privileges at 4 library systems. One of them has a link on their website to a book suggester – you enter a title or author you like and it suggests others like it. Kind of like “What Should I Read Next” which I listened to for awhile (but I’m not really a podcast person.)”
– “I am part of the Bluesky Booksky and Librarians communities and I love hearing about what others are reading or from authors/illustrators about their passion projects. I am an academic librarian, and my colleagues and my public library friends keep me in the loop to what’s popular and I am never lacking for recommendations from friends.”
– “Social Media Platform where I make these discoveries: Facebook”
Question: Has an advertisement in a print/online publication or boosted post on social media ever made you want to read a book?
No: 59%
Yes (an ad I saw online): 24%
Yes (an ad I saw in a print publication): 19%
Yes (a boosted post on FB): 12%
Related comments included:
– “I’m suggestible. If I see an ad, I am 10% more likely to pick it up the next time I am in a store and see it, but it doesn’t guarantee a sale. I might pick it up later, though, and reevaluate.”
– “I get advertising e-mails directly from publishers every day and I do pre-order based on some of them.”
– “We order through Ingram at the bookstore I work at and I see bestsellers and the “you might like also” stuff, same with Thriftbooks.”
– “I do find books through online ads BUT – Many ads online/social media for books put me off those books because they are the book-adequivalent of click-bait, in that they are worded to intrigue you about the content but you have to click a link to find out the author/title details etc. That irritates me to the extent that I deliberately DON’T seek out those books. I want to know straight away if it’s an author whose work I already know I don’t like up-front, without the irritation and bother of cicking through to another site to find m ore details.”
– “Not a boosted ad but a Facebook post (Grandmaster) and a post on BlueSky (By the Author).”
– A bunch of people mentioned “boosted” posts on Bluesky and Mastodon.
– Some mentioned e-newsletter ads.
– “Additional info regarding paid advertisement: sponsored posts from publishers on social media showing new titles often help fill up my library holds lists, which are currently held and maintained for our family at 4 local library systems. Our family typically has 100-120 books out from the various systems at any given time which are rotated one – two times per week, read in addition to our extensive home library of new and used titles. Homeschooling for the past two years, the addition of many bookshelves, and many happy donations to local libraries and little free libraries help me rationalize the amount of books that continually come in and out of our house!”
Question: Reviews, Book Blogs, Podcasts, etc.: Which of the following (if any) helped you discover a book you wanted to read?
Blogs or online book review sites: 71%
Professional reviews (newspapers, magazines): 66%
Podcasts about books: 28%
YouTube channels about books: 14%
Question about Author- or Illustrator-Driven Discovery: Which of the following (if any) helped you discover a book you wanted to read?
Following a favorite author: 93%
Following a favorite illustrator: 53%
Newsletter from an author, illustrator, or publisher: 49%
Author events or school visits: 23%
Question about Awards and Lists: Which of the following (if any) helped you discover a book you wanted to read?
Curated reading lists (age-based, theme-based, etc.): 74%
Award winners or nominees: 69%
“Best of the year” lists: 64%
Question about Events and In-Person Experiences: Which of the following (if any) helped you discover a book you wanted to read?
Author signings or readings: 64%
Book festivals or conventions: 61%
School or library events: 41%
Question: Which of the following (if any) helped you discover a book you wanted to read?
Cover caught my attention: 74%
Series continuation: 57%
Gifted by someone: 46%
Adaptation (movie, tv show, game): 41%
Additional comments
Note from Debbie: There were a LOT of freeform comments! I lack the time to go through and organize them all, but feel free to browse.
– “I get recs from podcasts like Book Club for Kids, Middle Grade Matters. Also best of lists. Also Bookends Literary’s YouTube channel.”
– “In the last couple of years I have quit all social media except Bluesky. I follow mainly authors and illustrators, as well as publishers. There’s a great community on this platform, and enough for my purchasing needs.”
– “I find lately that I have to actively seek new books by trolling through forums on reddit or similar, searching for books similar to other books I have already read. I have almost never found a new book through advertising, unless its a poster or display in a bookstore that I’m physically standing in. I have never even seen onlibe advertising for books (except on websites actively selling books) and “recommended for you” lists on online retailers are essentially useless.”
– “Best-of lists used to be more of a factor. I don’t look at them nearly as much as I used to.”
– “My responses reflect my reality as someone with much less time to spend reading than I would like. If I was able to read more books, it is likely that there would be more numerous sources that I would pull my chosen reads from.”
– “Maybe the number of books bought v. number of books read? LOL!”
– “The social media platform I use most is Bluesky. Since joining, I’ve discovered books I want to read through recommendations posted by people I follow. I’ve also discovered books by authors and illustrators I follow on Bluesky who don’t necessarily post primarily about book-related topics, but I enjoy their posts and check out their work. I’ve also discovered books through non book-related podcasts eg. science/nature podcasts, technology podcasts, comedy podcasts that sometimes mention books or have author/illustrator guests on.”
– “My 9 year old is just transitioning from graphic novels to wordy novels. Graphic novel adaptations of other books have been excellent for him. He devoured the “warriors” graphic novels, for example, and running out of those motivated him to try the non-graphic versions of the novels.”
– “As a bookstagrammer and school library clerk most of what I read comes from publishers, authors or recommendations from other Bookstagram friends.”
– “Mostly get my recommendations from r/fantasy, but also follow a bunch of authors on bluesky. Think KJ Charles and Amal El-Mohtar rec the most books.”
– “It would have been easier to give the specifics requested if there was a chance to do that at each section, rather than try to recall them all at once at the end. Reviews, Book Blogs, Podcasts, etc.: I often discovery a book through an author interview or from a comment by a podcaster/panelist/etc., though not usually on a podcast or program that is ‘about books.’ Sometimes it a deliberate promotion or review, but often it’s incidental, such as in a conversational part of a podcast. Events and In-Person Experiences: Sometimes it more informal, seeing what someone else is reading on a train or at the library. or what someone is buying or checking out; this may or may not involve talking to them.”
– “I find picturebooks and novels in different ways. I do much more browsing for PBs. We get lots from the library and I’m proactive seeking out new releases from favourite authors and illustrators. For adult novels and non-fiction I’m more passive and tend to just be intrigued occationally by a cover or review on social media. I’m also a member of a small book club so read books chosen by them.”
– “put them in ‘other’ in relevant group. as I kid I read my parent’s books – from all HCAndersen to Wooley’s digs in Ur. it kind of went from there. mostly science and history and related fiction. still is. even what I write is historical. We used to raid the local library about once a week. continued reading as a grown-up, sometimes a lot, sometimes not so much. luckily you can go online and get any book from any library online delivered to your tiny local library (Denmark), if special sometimes from abroad. the biggest impact really has been brexit, when buying second hand from abebooks suddenly was no longer possible without massive taxes and fees. I got all my medieval stuff from there. things you couldn’t borrow anywhere or get here. I prefer reading original language so have a lot of English books.”
– “Maybe ask what would make someone request a book at their library and/or if they do? For those of us who don’t/can’t purchase many books, this is part of how we try to support authors, and it also still creates purchases and discoverability.”
– “I get a lot of my recs from doing research on the fantasy genre’s history and seeing what books are influential. I guess that could have been best of lists, but not this year’s best of lists. And while I do that because I love genre history, I also do it because the current state of the fantasy genre leaves me ice cold and I know that backlist diving is a lot, lot more likely to work for me.”
– “I use Libby to access my library. They have recommendations. Often I will pay more attention to works by my favourite authors. My friends and I trade book likes and dislikes, and occasionally lend each other books. Amazon sends me notifications of new books by my favourite authors. I may read a review of a non-fiction book and search out the title.”
– “Personal connections with authors drive students to be more interested in reading. They also make me more likely to explore the author’s novels so that I can place them in my classroom library.”
– “As a Primary grade teacher, I have a lot of favourite titles on my shelves. I occasionally receive recommendations or gift books from parents – my own children are young adults – classroom families keep me in touch with newer titles. Sometimes I see something recommended by insta accounts I follow. I als use facebook, but my interactions are more personal and less professionally motivated.”
– “The thing that gets me most interested in and excited about a book is seeing other authors (i.e. not the one who wrote it) talking excitedly about it on social media.”
– “As a bookseller, I have a lot of insider knowledge and early access to many titles. Bit of an unfair advantage but I’ll take it. However, it means I’m not likely to take recommendations from strangers. People/writers/creators I know, yes: random Booktok/online recommendation? No. This is probably all kinds of hubris but I know a LOT of writers, and read a TON: I only want recommendations from people I trust.”
– “Podcasts- Science Friday recommendations and authors who have written nonfiction books being interviewed about the subject on podcasts I regularly listen to such as Feel Better Live More and Huberman Lab Also, I will look into recommendations from authors and illustrators that I follow about other authors’ and illustrators’ new books.”
– “I’m a big fan of NYTBR! Also of obscure small presses.”
– “In terms of social media, I mostly get information on Bluesky. I get a lot of recs from NPR’s Books We Love interactive website and genre specific NYT lists (new mysteries, etc). I do a lot of browsing in the Libby app, too. I get a lot of nonfiction recs from hearing authors on podcasts, like Fresh Air and Factually.”
– “I wasn’t answering most of these because I didn’t read much last year. I’m not in the industry, and my preferences for reading material has become really narrow. I don’t want to run into negative or traumatic material so I don’t read fiction anymore. Hard scifi is an older preference and I’m considering looking into that genre too but many of those books ALSO have interpersonal violence so I would like to know about ways to identify books with violence like https://www.doesthedogdie.com/”
– “Some of my reading choices come through my bookclub of seven women – we all make book recommendations, then the group votes and the one with the most votes is our choice for the month.”
– “I surround myself with readers who talk about books. I have multiple never-ending TBR lists.”
– “The podcast that turns me onto a lot of books is a nerdy political podcast with a host that reads an effing ton. Another way: interesting interviews where the interviewee is asked what three books they’d recommend. I find books by exploring another aspect of life I find fulfilling and fascinating.”
– “I subscribe to a Kindle Discount/Free list.. Read many of those. And follow a few favorite authors. I started with “Kiddie” comic books (Think Casper the friedly Ghost) and graduated to Action (Superman/batman/Green Lantern et-al) to Books with more words and less graphics to .. Well Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Rob Sawyer and Misty Lackey and Anne McCaffery and more … Like I said I READ every day . So many books, So few days”
– “Publishing and art in general is very subjective. There have been books that won huge awards that I have disliked intensely and other books that have gotten no attention from media darlings that I think should have won all the awards. So I don’t like to take list or award recommendations.”
– “I still count on FB groups, and following publishers, authors/illustrators, and “book people” on FB, X, and Instagram. I love to browse bookstores, and love recommendations from friends. This year I chose the Alphabet Challenge for reading – I hope to complete it at least a few times. I am also author loyal – if it’s someone I love, their next book automatically goes onto my book shelf.”
– “I mostly use BlueSky for social media. There, what catches my attention for a book is recs from other folks. Your kidlit book boost lists for books for kids – a recommendation that comes from someone who takes the time to post about it makes me more likely to want to track down the book. My critique group and my mystery book group recs impact my choices. Other readers in person, radio interiews, sometimes a newspaper our journal interview with an author will get my attention. Gifts from people who know me. A bookseller or librarian who knows their books. The Canadian Children’s Centre Book News publications. Although I read best of lists, I quickly feel list fatigue. There is too much information. Thanks for doing this Debbie! It’s made me think about this in more depth.”
– “Book Riot articles help me find books. I will also stalk library recent purchases.”
– “I deplore the NYT, but I have to admit that their book coverage influences my reading. Also, BookBub sends recommendations that often lead to my making purchases.”
– “I would suggest adding free form right in the question you are asking about. Great survey. Please share results!! I find a lot of stuff in newspaper and magazine lists. I focus on Toronto – Canada print publications to find that kind of recommendations. Authors events at libraries always create interest for me. All the bibliocommons lists and comments are great. I also like the while you wait content in there. I wish the end of year lists would focus more on BIPOc and local co tent I don’t care to know about the top ten white American titles that have been checked out.”
Suggestions for future polls:
– “”Are there any specific book clubs or “influencers,” or even friends or peers who steer you toward new authors?” is a question I think could be useful!”
– “Might be useful to find out how browsing for books to give to others influenced reading choices?”