Each year we conduct a survey of members and non-members to learn more about what topics are interesting to you, what benefits we should add, what’s working and what we need to improve.
Most notably for this year, social media usage has declined, yet interest in learning about it has increased.
Following are the results gathered from 281 respondents. Significant changes from the previous year are noted throughout.
Where are you in your publishing journey?
- Writing first manuscript: 37%
- First book has been published: 21%
- Published 2+ books: 22%
- Published 10+ books: 6%
If already published, which did you use?
- Self-publishing (established own publishing company): 33%
- Custom publishing (hired a 3rd party firm to publish): 13%
- Traditional publishing: 14%
- Both self-published and traditionally published titles: 15%
What genres are you focused on with your writing?
- Biography/memoir: 34%
- Self-development: 29%
- Religious/spiritual: 26%
- Business/money: 20%
How do you plan to publish your next book?
- Self-publishing (establish own publishing company): 40%
- Traditional publishing: 24% (down from 35% last year)
- Custom publishing (hire a 3rd party firm to publish): 18%
- Other/Not Sure: 17%
If already published, how many copies of your book(s) have you sold to date?
- 0 to 500: 26% (down from 54% last year)
- 1,001 to 3,000: 13% (up from 7% last year)
- 501 to 1,000: 12% (up from 10% last year)
- NOTE: 25% have sold between 500 to 3,000 copies
- 10,000+: 4% (down from 11% last year)
- 5,001 to 10,000: 4% (down from 9% last year)
- 3,001 to 5,000: 4% (down from 6% last year)
- 100,000+: 3% (unchanged from last year)
Of the Social Media networks that you use, which do you use daily, weekly or monthly?
Daily (top responses):
- Facebook: 68%
- Twitter: 32% (down from 51% last year)
- LinkedIn 21% (down from 28% last year)
- Instagram: 11% (down from 35% last year)
- Pinterest: 7% (down from 16% last year)
- YouTube: 6%
Weekly (top responses):
- LinkedIn: 36% (down from 43% last year)
- YouTube: 22% (down from 37% last year)
- Twitter: 21% (down from 28% last year)
- Pinterest: 19% (down from 41% last year)
- Facebook: 18% (down from 22% last year)
Monthly (top responses):
- YouTube: 26% (down from 52% last year)
- Pinterest: 24% (down from 43% last year)
- LinkedIn: 24% (down from 29% last year)
- Instagram: 14% (down from 35% last year)
- Twitter: 14% (down from 21% last year)
How often do you visit the NFAA members-only forum on LinkedIn?
- Frequently: 2%
- Sometimes: 22%
- Rarely: 20%
- There’s a forum? 57%
Comments: Of those who have visited, positive comments all around: “very informative,” “enjoy variety of issues discussed,” “excellent resource.”
How often do you listen to podcasts?
- Frequently: 14% (down from 20% last year)
- Sometimes: 38% (up from 32% last year)
- Rarely: 42% (down from 44% last year)
- What’s a podcast? 5%
Have you attended our annual Nonfiction Writers Conference?
- Yes: 14% (up from 11% last year)
- No: 68%
- There’s a conference? 18%
If yes, what made you sign up? (top comments)
- “Interesting topics and speakers.”
- “Love the format; don’t have to travel.”
- “Convenient for my schedule.”
Rate NFAA benefits based on their value to you, in order of Highest value ranking:
- Templates/worksheets/checklists added weekly: 41% (down from 55% last year)
- Teleseminar recordings: 40% (down from 50% last year)
- Live Teleseminars: 39% (down from 47% last year)
- Nonfiction Writers Conference discount: 35% (down from 42% last year)
- Weekly marketing “homework” (tip sent via email): 31% (down from 34% last year)
- Discounts off NFAA online courses: 28% (down from 41% last year)
- Local chapter meetings: 26% (down from 43% last year)
- LinkedIn forum: 19% (down from 21% last year)
- Partner discounts: 18% (down from 19% last year)
- NFAA book awards discount: 17% (down from 26% last year)
Comments:
- “If we had a local chapter, I’d definitely participate.”
- “Would like to see more workshops/courses.”
- “Would like to have a group of critique partners.”
- “Would like access to a list of resources for publishing.” <Note: We have this via our Recommended Resources page!
What topics are you interested in learning about?
- Revenue streams for authors: 81% (up from 80% last year)
- How to build my author business and make money: 81% (up from 76% last year)
- Advanced book marketing: 78% (up from 73% last year)
- Selling on Amazon: 72% (up from 71% last year)
- Publicity: 74% (up from 70% last year)
- Book marketing basics: 70% (up from 61% last year)
- Professional speaking: 61% (up from 60% last year)
- Ebook publishing: 69% (up from 57% last year)
- Self-publishing: 69% (up from 56% last year)
- Specialty book sales: 61% (up from 56% last year)
- Bulk book sales: 51% (down from 54% last year)
- Blogging: 51% (up from 50% last year)
- Traditional publishing: 53% (up from 50% last year)
- Audio book publishing: 54% (up from 50% last year)
- Social media: 54% (up from 49% last year)
- Corporate Sponsorships: 53%
- Freelance writing: 49% (unchanged)
- Manuscript writing: 47% (unchanged)
- Podcasting: 46% (up from 42% last year)
- LinkedIn: 43% (up from 38% last year)
- Facebook: 46% (up from 35% last year)
- Video: 45% (up from 35% last year)
- Twitter: 36% (up from 33% last year)
- Online advertising: 49% (up from 28% last year)
- Pinterest: 31% (up from 24% last year)
- Periscope: 16% (down from 19% last year)
- Instagram: 31% (up from 17% last year)
- Creativity: 43%
Comments/Other topics of interest:
- “Copyrights and trademarks.”
- “Book proposals.”
- “Best publishing companies?”
- “SEO.”
- “Legal and accounting.”
- “Writing instruction and workshops.”
What other trade associations do you belong to?
- Local writers group: 53% (up from 48% last year)
- Chamber of commerce: 18% (up from 15% last year)
- Toastmasters: 11% (down from 14% last year)
- National Speakers Assoc: 6% (up from 4% last year)
- Other: 51%
Are you a member of NFAA?
- No: 38%
- Basic: 48%
- Authority: 14% (up from 3% last year)
- VIP: 1%
Would you be interested in attending a local chapter meeting in your area?
- Yes: 46%
- Maybe: 47%
- No: 6%
Employment Status?
- Entrepreneur: 30%
- Full-time employee: 17%
- Retired: 16%
- Part-time: 9%
- Stay-at-home parent: 4%
- Company executive: 3%
- Attorney, Doctor, Medical professional: 1%
- Other: 20%
Responses to “Other”:
- “Full time writer.”
- “Freelancer.” (LOTS of these)
- “Disabled.”
- “Looking for work.”
If self-employed, what percentage of your income comes from book sales/writing?
- 0 to 10%: 75%
- 11 to 20%: 10%
- 21 to 50%: 7%
- 76 to 100%: 4%
- 51 5o 75%: 4%
What is your annual income?
- $0 to $50k: 50%
- $51k to $75k: 21%
- $76k to $100k: 15%
- $100k+: 13%
- $1mil+: 1%
What is your age range?
- 60+: 38% (down from 46% last year)
- 50 to 59: 33% (up from 26% last year)
- 40 to 49: 22% (up from 17% last year)
- 30 to 39: 6% (down from 9% last year)
- 0 to 29: .5% (down from 2% last year
- Note: 71% of members are age 50+
College?
- Advanced degree: 49%
- Bachelors: 35%
- Some college: 14%
- n/a: 2%
Thank you to all who participated! We greatly appreciate your time and feedback. We will continue working to add even more value for our members!
P.S. SAVE THE DATE! The 7th annual Nonfiction Writers Conference returns May 3-5, 2017. Speakers to be announced in mid-February.
