by Barb, happily typing away in Portland, Maine
Halloween Party Murder Advance Reader Copies are here! These are uncorrected proofs of the novella collection with stories by Leslie Meier, Lee Hollis, and me that will be released on August 31, 2021. I’m giving away one copy of the ARC to two lucky commenters below.
When Shucked Apart was published in February, I conducted a giveaway for a print of my new map of Busman’s Harbor, Maine. When people responded with their names and physical addresses for mailing, we asked them a few (entirely voluntary) survey questions. I thought you might be interested in the answers.
In all, 522 people requested the physical maps, which was, weirdly, almost the exact number I had estimated. The vast majority chose to answer the survey questions. As a survey sample, the responders have to be viewed as unscientific. Unless “people on Barbara Ross’s mailing list, who care about the Maine Clambake Mysteries enough they want a map/and or love maps and/or can’t resist free stuff,” can be taken as a sample.
Here are the results.
How will you read Shucked Apart?
- Audiobook 4%
- Ebook 46%
- Mass max paperback 50%
How will you access the book?
- Amazon 50%
- Independent bookstore 8%
- Library 19%
- Other large retailer (B&N, Chapters/Indigo, Walmart, etc.) 21%
- Share with or gift from a relative, friend, etc. 2%
Have you read the previous 8 books in the series?
- None 9%
- Some, but not all 30%
- Yes to the books, no to the novellas, 20%
- Yes to all of them 41%
The one statistic that surprised me was the 9%, approximately 50 people, who wanted the map, but had read none of the books. I had assumed that the people who would order the map would be diehard fans, especially as it is freely viewable online.
A glance at the comments section, however, indicated that many of these people had some or all of the books sitting in their TBR piles or ebook libraries and saw the map as motivation to dig the books out and read them. I hope it worked!
Speaking of the comments section, there were so many lovely, lovely comments about the series. I blush. Thanks everyone who commented so very much.
Readers: Do any of the survey results surprise you? Comment below or just say “hi” to be entered to win an ARC of Halloween Party Murder.