Over at A Writer of History, I just published the first report from a survey of 805 readers on the topic of historical fiction. Below are a few general observations. The full report contains many more.

• THE PAST FASCINATES. Almost 75% of respondents read more than 25% historical fiction.
• SEX: Women and men differ significantly in their views of historical fiction.
• AGE: Those under 30 have different preferences for genre and time period and have different patterns of consumption and acquisition.
• GOING ONLINE: Social media and online sites play a very significant role for those consuming historical fiction.
• GEOGRAPHY: A reader’s geographic location has less affect than we might expect on preferences.
• EDUCATION: Readers of historical fiction are very well educated: 46% have university degrees, 40.5% have completed graduate school.
• EARLY HABITS: Those introduced to historical fiction in childhood continue to read it at high volumes.

I will continue to analyze and publish further details on both blogs.