The Reader Connection: What Fiction Readers Want from Fiction Writers

Friday, May 10, 2024

What Fiction Readers Want from Fiction Writers

by MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, MFA

Writers of fiction are continually thinking about how they can best serve their readers. One way writers do this is by sending out surveys.

I recently sent out a survey myself to my newsletter subscribers and was surprised at some of the results. For example, to my surprise, most of my readers said they prefer historical fiction over contemporary fiction. Most also said they prefer romance and romantic suspense over other genres of fiction.

My readers' responses were of great help to me. Since I myself love to write romance, especially romantic suspense, I now know that in doing so, I am meeting my readers' literary needs. This makes me happy as an author.

In addition to genre needs, however, readers of fiction are looking for some other very important things as well. Here are a few of them:

1) Choices of format in their reading material. Readers like to know that a novel comes in print, ebook, and audiobook formats. Audiobooks especially are gaining in popularity at rapid rates. Readers love to "read" books while driving, washing dishes, or exercising, for example. In a world where multi-tasking is the rule, audiobooks have gained a prominent place.

2) Series or stand-alones? Most readers don't care whether a novel is part of a series or a stand-alone. But some readers devour series books only and will closely follow a novelist for the next book in the series. Other readers, on the other hand, prefer stand-alone stories, claiming that subsequent books in a series get "watered down" and are not as interesting as the first book in the series.

3) Good book descriptions (referred to as "metadata"). Fiction readers want to know as
much as they can about a novel before buying it. When an author provides ample information about her book, the reader is better able to make an informed purchasing decision.

What about you? As a fiction reader, what do you want from fiction writers? Please post your comments in the box below. Thanks! :)

HUGE SALE! This week, all of my novels are on sale in ebook format for only $4.99. That's less than the price of your favorite latte. Check the list below and click on the cover to purchase.

Click on the book cover to purchase.

NOTE: The Italian Chronicles is a compilation in a single volume of all three of the following novels in the trilogy: The Madonna of Pisano, A Sicilian Farewell, and Return to Bella Terra. So, when you purchase The Italian Chronicles, be aware that you are purchasing all three books in the trilogy.