Romantic Stats

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

Found this trivia from www.theromancereader.com, and thought they are interesting.

According to research by the bookstore chain Barnes and Noble, romance customers can typically spend up to $100 per month for books and will read as many as 40 books per month.

More than 90 percent of all mass market book sales are popular fiction.

Romance accounts for 48.6 percent of the mass market (paperback) book sales in the United States, with sales topping $885 million in 1992.

Authors rarely get rich writing books -- they receive only a small percentage of the cover price of a book -- usually 4 to 6 percent percent, according to Texas author LaRee Bryant.

The average romance reader is 39 years old and works outside the home. (Forbes Magazine)

The average annual household income for a romance reader is $40,000.

45 percent of romance readers are college educated.

Women who read romance novels make love with their partners 74 percent more often than women who don't. (Psychology Today)

Are you nodding your head in agreement, shaking it vehemently in opposition, or simply pondering whether the statements hold true to you or what you know?

Reactions/opinions are welcome.

[Wan]

True for the most part. Except the last one -- you have to have a willing partner in that department, you know. :-)

[D.G.]

40 books a month! That sounds like a lot (I know people that read as many books, but sounds high for the average.)

That last one seems plausible. I mean...some romance novels really rev up the engine, kwim? :p

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

LOL DG!! Yup - makes sense *grins*

I can see the likelihood of most of the statements although I think I must be holding the average down on the books read per month. I'm flat out at 10 - and that only happens with the help of audiobooks! :)

[Kathy Anne]

Jane
Me too,I only get about 4 or 5 read in a month.I just get interupted too much or I am on the go too much to read as much as I`d like to.

[Erin]

Hmm...I seem to be on the low side of the average for most of these stats. I typically read about 20ish a month depending on how busy I am and what books I'm reading (books with more pages take longer to read).

[Macwolf01 [Elise]]

Wan "Artemis", the Dark-Hunters' Goddess wrote: "True for the most part. Except the last one -- you have to have a willing partner in that department, you know. :-)"

haha Here here!!!!

[Heather]

I aim for about 10 a month but that varies. 40 seems like a lot for the average that would mean to balance out my 10 someone would have to 70 books a month, that seems unrealistic.

The $ spent and the books bought it true though.

[Dee]

i probably screw the stats with my 40-50+ a month

[Wan]

Dee, Yep you sure did. My monthly avg is only about 10+.

But I can believe it i.e. my soon-2B-ex mother in law -- she is a retired baby boomers and go thru her romance books like no one business. I bet you they have something to do with the stat.

[Michelle]

Yes I can see most of these are averages.Some buy and read more and some less so.All boils down to individuals lifestyle.Me..well i tend to read 10 books per month and spend around 50 dollars monthly...and by the way I totally agree with the last stat!My hubby encourages my habit and is a very pleased man!lol!

[gina~*]

Aren't our partners lucky! 100 bucks a month seems high though considering all the libraries and used books stores but I guess some of us aren't as cheap as I!!

[Desperado]

$100 a month? Wow. I spend around $15-$20 a month, if that. I get most of my books from the library & save my cash for "must have reads" that I want to own. Being broke has taught me mucho patience.

[Wan]

My book buying has gotten out of control as well. I'm cutting corners buying less shoes and cloths (and **sobbing** less Starbucks).

[Michelle]

Ya and i am starting to dress like an old granny!!I am only 40!Rather spend my money on books!

[MountainKat, Moderator]

The number of books read and dollars spent seem high to me! Or maybe just for me? I am one of the about-10-books-a-month club and I would guess I spend about $40 give or take a month. Of course, some of that is my audible account, love me some audiobooks! (Otherwise, I would only read about half of what I do.)

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Wan "Artemis", the Dark-Hunters' Goddess wrote: "My book buying has gotten out of control as well. I'm cutting corners buying less shoes and cloths (and **sobbing** less Starbucks)."

I couldn't give up coffee to any degree! I generally buy my books but borrow audiobooks from the library - I would borrow ALL my books before I gave up flat whites!!

[LibraryLass]

Even over here in NZ those stats are all-but true. I average about 15 books a month... and I would probably spend about $100 but not every month. (sometimes more - sometimes less).

[Sarah]

Holy crap! I read four hours a day and I don't think I'll ever hit 40 books a month. Thirty maybe.

That's awful that writers make so little for their books. I'd almost rather read a book from the library and send them a check for what I think it's worth than have them get less than a dollar when I buy a book of theirs. J. A. Konrath has a website where he sells ebooks of his short stories for .99 and I think maybe he gets just as much per sale on them as on any of the books that he sells through publishers.

[D.G.]

LethalLovely~Killing Me Softly wrote: "I spend around $15-$20 a month, if that. I get most of my books from the library & save my cash for "must have reads" that I want to own. Being broke has taught me mucho patience."

I'm in the same boat, LL. I spend $20 tops and that's mostly postage for books I send via PBS. And I've been using my library a lot so I'm not even requesting that many books from there. I can't remember the last book I bought because I had to read it now. I'm very patient.

[Debora]

I heard a similar number for ebooks - some publishing VP expecting ebook sales for romance to outpace paper books in the next year. Romance readers are leading the way on this one - it's all the old guys reading thrillers that are resisting, apparently :).

[Dee]

I think on Amazon, Kindle books had outsold not only hardcovers in the last 2 quarters, but now mass market releases...I saw the stats somewhere recently

[Debora]

Yup. And I think that's actually been true for them in romance for quite some time. The people that say ebooks are only 10% of the total include stuff like textbooks and car manuals in the totals :). Most publishers think in fiction, ebooks will outsell paper books in the next 1-3 years. It's fascinating to watch. Still hard to find good books for my seven year old on kindle, but that's coming too.