What to include in a reader survey?

[king-goldfish]

I was thinking about a conversation we had on this forum about target audiences. It occurred to me that I have no real idea of my reader demographics. So I thought, why not ask them? And then I thought... why not also ask them what other novels they enjoy, what social media platforms they use, where they go for book recommendations, etc? I'm hoping this will give me a better idea of what kind of comps I should be using and where I should be looking for new readers.

Have y'all tried anything like this before? If so, what questions did you ask?

Here are the questions I'm already pretty set on:
* How did you find this novel?
* What are 2-3 other web novels you enjoy?
* 2-3 traditionally published novels?
* Do you read web novels mostly at Tapas or other sites (wattpad, inkitt, Royal Road, AO3)?
* What social media sites do you use most?
* How do you find the novels you read? Where do you go for recommendations?
* Do you have any favorite booktokers, booktubers, etc?
* What are your favorite genres?

What else should I be asking? What are you dying to know about your readers?

[mikesakatamaki]

Hi. I tried to come up with these questions for your audience.

1. What device do you primarily use when reading novels (smartphone, tablet, PC, etc.)?
2. How many novels do you usually read at the same time?
3. What do you think is the ideal length for an easy-to-read novel? (For example, word count per chapter or overall length)
4. How do you feel about the pacing of the story? (Slow-paced vs. fast-paced)
5. At what point do you stop reading a story? (For example, when you feel it's boring or lose interest)
6. Do you prefer series or standalone works?
7. Are you interested in sequels or spin-offs?

It might sound strange to say this after suggesting so many additional questions, but too many questions might overwhelm the readers. I think it would be better to narrow it down to three.

[drewdoniger]

Sorry that this isn't helpful, but I want to know so I can do one myself, how do you set up a reader survey here? Or is it on another website?

[king-goldfish]

Tapas (as far as I know) doesn't have that functionality built-in—I'm just sending people to Google Forms using the author's notes at the bottom of my next chapter. And maybe a "special episode" asking people to fill it out if I don't think that will irritate people too much lol

[Leyelle]

What else should I be asking? What are you dying to know about your readers?

what was your favorite chapter and why? Who is your favorite character? What character would you like to get to see more of