Reader Survey Results
For those who want an inside look into where my writing, podcasting, etc, might be heading.
Wow! My wonderful readers. You really came through. Thanks for the emails, the messages, the questions, and for filling out the survey where you told me a bit about your preferences with respect to my writing.
I should say that the numbers of people who do things like take reader surveys are always low. I’m estimating that around 5% of my regular readers ended up taking the survey. That sounds small, but it is actually a really great response in the end. It is certainly much more than the original, maybe, 0.01% before I wrote a somewhat humorous post (at least I thought some of it was funny) about barely anyone responding. No worries if you never did respond. You don’t need to do anything. Just keep enjoying the writing!
Conclusions
Further below, I share the basic data that I collected from readers, but I figured I’d just launch into what I learned from listening to all of you and what it might mean for the direction of this Substack/email newsletter. Note: technically, I have only one real “conclusion.” Besides the ONE, it is all an exploration, a figuring it out as I go, a “hmmm, I better think about that.” Still, the feedback you gave was super valuable.
The ONE Conclusion is - just keep writing. A corollary to this is my conclusion that I have spent far too long lately on things like reader surveys and writing about writing, instead of just writing something helpful or inspiring or beautiful or hopeful for you. Thank you for bearing with me.
I will readily acknowledge that a few weeks ago I promised to return to regularly scheduled programming, but this time I really mean it! Really! I’m getting there.
So what did I learn from the reader survey?
I learned that, for the most part, keeping doing what I have been doing is a good idea. I’m generally on the right track. You have no idea how valuable this kind of assuring feedback is. So - thank you again.
It was not surprising that most people answering a survey that was posted on a Substack page (or in your email) said they wanted me to continue writing on Substack / doing an email newsletter. That just makes sense.
A really good number of people want more fiction. Sigh of relief from me, because I want to write more fiction!
I’ll definitely be thinking more about the possibilities around sermons/talks/video and also podcasts and how that all fits in this writing-centric space.
In terms of topics… I will be paying attention to the fact that the topics of spirituality, God, theology, wonder, delight, and noticing beauty and goodness, resonate with a lot of you. So, more in those departments will be forthcoming!
It is interesting to me that 56% of you are interested in the topic of creativity and 30% of you would love to hear more about the craft of writing. For me, as a writer, there is a connection between these two. So perhaps from time to time, I’ll be reflecting on these subjects, or maybe I’ll provide opportunities for us to connect around writing or creativity in general. Not sure yet, but there is pondering to do here.
I was kind of blown away that most of you didn’t immediately dismiss paying for some kind of subscription. Don’t panic - the core of this newsletter will remain free for the foreseeable future, but I will definitely be thinking about some ways I can provide extra value to folks willing to support my work here through a paid subscription.
The last question was about whether people might be interested in reading serialized fiction or short stories here on substack or in your email. I kind of asked this on a whim. Though I have been thinking a bit about this for a while, I have no concrete plans. And then a quarter of you said you’d be in, and another 37% said you might try it out. This kind of surprised me. So, more thinking for me to do! Is there a story or set of stories that I might want to develop within a subscription? Maybe. Maybe.
So, hopefully enough of you will follow along regardless of where it all goes. Your feedback was super helpful. So, thank you, thank you, thank you! And even more than the survey - thank you for continuing to read. It is simply amazing to me that you are out there reading what I write, or listening to what I have to say.
There is definitely more to come!
The Actual Data
In case you’re interested, here is the breakdown of the four questions I asked and how people answered. Note: On the first two questions people could select multiple options, so the percentages don’t add up to 100.
Kinds of Content
I asked which of my content you are most interested in.
67% said - Newsletter posts / email newsletter, Substack blog post (i.e. what you are reading right now)
52% said - Fiction books
41% said - Sermons / Other Talks / Video
30% said - Non-fiction books
26% said - Podcast Episodes
Topics
I asked which topics you want me to focus on.
74% said - Spirituality, God, Theology
70% said. - Themes of wonder, delight, and noticing beauty and goodness
56% said - Creativity / how to be more creative
44% said - Interpreting the Bible
33% said - The details, themes, etc. about the Del Ryder Series or other fiction I write.
30% said - Recommendations of other books or authors
30% said - The craft of fiction writing
26% said - The life of an author
19% said - Info on Upcoming fiction books
7% said - Info on Upcoming non-fiction books
One person said “Other” and told me to write whatever I feel like writing. Thanks - I will certainly do that!
Subscription
I asked whether you would you consider paying for a subscription to this substack / email newsletter?
48% said - you wouldn’t sign up for a paid subscription.
26% said - you weren’t sure or maybe
11% said - you’d buy a subscription just to support me. (Wow! Thank you!)
7% said - you’d consider it if you received some sort of bonus when you signed up.
7% said - you’d consider it if there were additional content or features (articles, podcast episodes, videos, community chat, etc.) that were for paid subscribers only.
Fiction on Substack
I asked if you be interested in reading stories or serialized fiction (e.g. a chapter every week or so) by subscribing to a paid substack page?
37% said - not sure / you might try it.
37% said - no.
26% said - Yes! That’s be so cool!
One Last Thank You!
Again, thanks for reading, thanks for your support, and let’s see where this all goes! Looking forward to writing that next thing and sharing it with you all!