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Writer Survey!

August 26, 2009 by Nathan Bransford 258 Comments

In the comments section of last week’s Genre Poll, some people wanted to know more about who exactly is reading this blog anyway. What’s the ratio of published to unpublished, male to female, age, etc.?

So here’s a quick series of polls that will hopefully demystify the demographics. Please click through from e-mail or your blog reader to see the polls.

(the second option in this poll should have read: “Started, haven’t finished”):

Let’s see who’s really out there.

Filed Under: The Writing Life Tagged With: Life of a Writer, rhetorical questions, You Tell Me

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Broadway Mouth Blog says

    August 29, 2009 at 2:51 am

    It's so funny to read your comments about opening queries with rhetorical questions. When I was teaching, I refused to let my students do it. Many of them had gotten into the habit from other teachers, so I did what I could to stop them.

    Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    August 29, 2009 at 4:16 pm

    IDEA FOR A NEW SURVEY —

    The on-line writing sites I belong to are populated by large groups of people who insist that it takes a 100+ rejections on average before a writer snags an agent. This seems high to me (and was not my experience). So, we need a poll and you seem like the man to do it! How many lick’s does it take to get to the center of the tootsie pop?

    Reply
  3. Literary Cowgirl says

    August 29, 2009 at 4:17 pm

    Anon 6:57, thank you. I'd like to think that where I live is very unique and would be of interest to thers (especially as frontier disapear). If Proulx could open Wyommig up like she has, maybe I can bring some attention to the North Peace Country, a place that millions of tourists pass through and admire out their window on the way to Alaska, but few ever stop to discover.

    Lauri, congrats! That's great news. I've been meaning to get caught up on Servicing the Pole. I'll have to take a trip over soon.

    And, the only thing I found sexist about the debated statement is the part about the husbands supporting the wives. I'm a stay-at-home, and I support my husband. I support him by raising his children, washing his clothes, making his lunches for him, doing his banking, driving his elderly mother around. If I didn't do all of these things, he wouldn't be able to do the work he does. And, I gave up rodeo and a fairly exciting life to do it, not that I don't love evrey minute with my kids (who says you have to hate your job?).

    Reply
  4. Seidel says

    August 31, 2009 at 2:44 am

    This proves what I've suspected from other polls: men don't 'take' polls.

    Cheers

    Reply
  5. Mira says

    August 31, 2009 at 3:08 pm

    I'm so disappointed. On that last question, I was really pulling for Affirmative. But it's been several days, and I think we can call the race. Shoot.

    Darn that Unquestionably. It totally took advantage being the first one. So unfair. I shake my fist at you Unquestionably. I hope someone files a complaint.

    But what really gets me is Yes. How can Yes beat Affirmative? I mean: Yes? Yes?

    Sheesh. Yes?

    Well, that's okay Affirmative. You may be last and misunderstood, but I 'get' you. You're a winner in my book.

    Reply
  6. D.R. Howell says

    August 31, 2009 at 10:47 pm

    it was a fun survey, though the final question was very confusing and ambiguous haha.

    Its good to see I am not completely alone on this from judging on the results.

    Reply
  7. Anonymous says

    September 1, 2009 at 12:11 am

    I am a minority. I have written three books (working on forth) and I am in my fifties. I am in the majority: female, unagented.

    word verification: wingsabi
    (I wonder does that mean I have a wing and a prayer? or would that be one wing and one great Indian sidekick while I go traipsing through the wild west of the publishing wilderness trying to shepherd in a heroic tale or be a gain a mythic following for my unknown masked men?)

    Reply
  8. Gypsy K says

    September 8, 2009 at 4:58 pm

    I feel so…young now D:

    Reply
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Hi, I’m Nathan. I’m the author of How to Write a Novel and the Jacob Wonderbar series, which was published by Penguin. I used to be a literary agent at Curtis Brown Ltd. and I’m dedicated to helping authors achieve their dreams. Let me help you with your book!

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