I've been thinking, based on some discussions lately in the forum and my writing forum, that it's been a couple years since we did our last reader survey, and I wondered whether reader opinion might have changed as much as the genre seems to have changed in that time.

So we're doing a new survey! I'm listing the questions below, and if you'd like to participate, please email me your responses via the email link in the right-hand column. I'll be accepting replies until August 31, 2005, and in late September, once I've had a chance to compile everything, I'll post the results here on the site as well. If you want to share this with friends, please, feel free to pass it along. The more reader responses, the merrier, right?

1. What subgenre of romance do you read most often?
- short contemporary
- long contemporary
- historical (time period/locale?)
- paranormal (what sort?)
- inspirational
- erotic romance
- other (please explain)

2. How many books do you read in a week? In a month? In a year?

3. How do you shop for romance novels?
- by author name
- by reviews
- back cover/inside cover blurbs
- cover art
- recommendation of friends
- other (please explain)

4. Where do you shop for your romance novels?
- bookstore, chain or indie
- used bookstore
- online sites
- book clubs
- other (please explain)

5. What other types of fiction do you read?

6. What percentage of your reading do romance novels make up?

7. Why do you read romance novels?

8. Would you be upset if a book marketed as a romance novel didn't have a happy ending?

9. Rank the following in order of importance, from most to least important, in your decision to purchase a romance novel:
- price
- author name
- cover art
- quality of book (ie, binding sturdy, typo-free, etc.)

10. What makes a book a 'wallbanger' (as in: throw-it-against-the-wall-annoying) for you?

11. How many romance novels do you currently own? How many are unread?

12. Have you had difficulty finding new romances to read in the last year?

13. Have you read any chick lit, a la 'Bridget Jones'? If so, have they replaced any of your romance reading? If you have read them, what have you liked/disliked about them? If you haven't read any, are you interested in reading them? Why/why not?

14. Have you read any of the erotic romances released by publishers dedicated solely to the genre? If so, do they comprise a regular portion of your romance reading now? Why/why not? What do you like best/least about them? Do you buy them despite any issues you may have with the books?

15. Do you read series romances (Harlequin/Silhouette)? Has your romance reading been affected by the line changes in recent years? Do you now read more/less/the same number of series books? Why?

General comments on the state of romance novels:

A little about yourself.....

16. Do you work full-time/part-time/not at all/other?

17. Are you a reader only, or do you also write? If you do, what do you write?

Thank you very much for your participation and your time!

Happy reading!