Some Highlights of Teen Reading Survey

Here are some findings in a nutshell:

• Comic books, manga and graphic novels? Sure, teens read them. But out of all categories, comics and graphic novels constitute only 20% of what they read, and manga even less - 18%. The most popular category? Fiction. Least popular? Memoir (20%), biography (16%) and history (15%).
• What was the most important factor influencing young adults to pick up a book? Are you ready for this, copywriters? Ninety-one percent said jacket copy. "The cover was important to 79%. The next most important influence, with 77%, was familiarity with an author's previous work; 74% were looking for the next book in a series. For 73%, the title was important."
• "When asked what formats they prefer, 79% noted paperback while 74% said hardcovers. Audiobooks were favored by 6%, while e-books were noted only by 6% and 13% had no preference as to format."
• "In a statistic that will warm the hearts of publishers, librarians, educators and authors, 83% of those surveyed like to read the book before they see the movie version. Only 4% like to see the movie first; 13% do not have a preference."
• "Chain bookstores are their most popular destinations (78%), with local booksellers (45%) and online retailers (44%) trailing. More than one-third shop library book sales (36%), and 33% shop at big-box stores."
• "Not surprisingly, 83% of teens are influenced by their friends' book recommendations. What did surprise us is that 52% were influenced by family members (perhaps their siblings), ahead of teachers (47%) and librarians (36%)."
• "Most reported that parents don't monitor what they read (55%), while 23% said their parents do weigh in some of the time, and 13% said they are monitored by their parents, but still read what they want. Only 9% follow parental monitors.And yes, it's true that kids with a lot of free time like Facebook (71% of those polled) and YouTube. But some of that YouTube time leads to books: "46% of the respondents watch online book trailers, and 45% have purchased books after watching them.""Author interviews, either podcast or video, attract 24%, with an additional 21% who like video but not podcast. Yet 53% do not like either podcast or video interviews or are not sure how they feel."
• "More than 56% click on online ads about books, and 8% do this regularly. In fact, 6% said they get all the information they need from the ad itself. For nearly three-quarters (72%), recognizing the author/title grabs their attention when they see an online ad. But 52% respond to colors or art, and 35% react to offers of contests/giveaways. Moving/flash ads only influence 11%, while 21% noted that photographs of people on the cover matter."