All about you - MFS readers speak out!
Results from the Winter '24 reader survey & a brief retrospective
Hey all… here’s an end-of-year post that includes information that I’ve learned about you - the MFS subscribers! And I’ll wrap up with a brief retrospective on the past year.
MFS Winter 2024 Survey Results
The most preferred reading format for fiction is Kindle e-book (50%) followed closely by print (40%). No one voted for Audible books, so for now I will continue publishing in electronic and print formats.
The most popular time of day to read is at the end of the day, before you go to sleep (100%). The next most popular time, at 50%, is while waiting for something else to happen—for example, to pick up someone while waiting for a doctor appointment or some other event.
When you are able to read, 60% of you said that you were able to read for about a half an hour. Only 20% of you said that you were able to read for an hour or more.
During a reading session, 100% of you said that you only focus on one book.
Let’s look at how often you read fiction. 70% of you said that you read fiction almost every day! A few of you (about 20%) only can read once or twice a week or per month.
Now the really interesting questions. When you think about personality traits that you prefer to see in main characters, the top three answers were: being intellectually smart or clever (70%), self reliance at 60%, and adhering to a clear moral code at 50%. Only one person preferred to see main characters who are physically strong and powerful.
The last question in the survey had to do with your favorite characters from other mystery and thriller books. There was no rank provided for any of the answers here. I was looking for what type of other characters you like to see with an idea for how they might relate to the types of main characters that I write. There were a few people who didn't have anyone in mind, and that's fine.
Among the responses were several timeless favorites, such as Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. I also saw some other characters represented such as Will Trent, Harry Dresden, and Myrtle Clover. In all, these characters bring a complex set of characteristics. But overall, they are resourceful, principled, insightful, and occasionally a bit snarky (to varying degrees, depending on the character). Some of the choices were interesting because the characters had difficult childhoods, emotional scars, or some other type of death to their characterization.
What do the results mean for MFS?
I've been on Substack for over two years now, and I've made many course corrections with My Favorite Suspects. I was relieved when I saw the survey results because I think it shows that I’m slowly beginning to align my writing with the kinds of characters and stories that you like to see. I've been writing fiction for (checks notes) 40 years (!) but I only made the shift to focus on mystery and thriller four years ago, so I’m learning a lot from your feedback about the expectations, and the likes and dislikes, that mystery and thriller readers have.
You’ve made MFS a successful endeavor for me, in terms of helping me to grow as a writer.
In 2025, I’ll continue to develop your favorite investigators (Terry, Rossi, and Lopez) and villains. I’ll also try out some crossover stories with other genres, because MFS is my “lab” where I can try out new ideas and get feedback from you. If you don't see something you like, just be patient and the carousel will get back around to something that more closely fits your preferences. On the flip side of that, you might see something that opens up a new reading experience for you.
One last bit about you, and something about me
The last pieces of information I want to talk about weren’t included in the survey. It's something that I can look at in my dashboard. Those of you who run your own Substacks will also see the same information for your own subscribers, of course.
MFS is read by people across 31 US states and 26 countries. I’m thrilled to see that people in Australia, France, Sweden, Spain, Brazil, India, Morocco, and so many other places around the world have taken a moment to look at what I’ve written. When I began writing in 1985, I never dreamed that anyone outside of my hometown might see my work.
I'm really looking forward to sharing more stories with you through 2025. I hope that I can count on your support and that you’ll help me to spread the word about my work!
May you and your loved ones have a peaceful and joyous New Year celebration.
Photo copyright 2024 by the author.
I really enjoyed this post, and reading your substack. I am making it a goal to read more in 2025, as I miss it, and you are definitely on my list!