Room Readers Survey 2016 FINAL Readers... · 2016-06-05 · Room Magazine Readers’ Survey 2016 RESULTS Number of respondents (N) = 246 Subscribers (past and current): n=139 / Non-Subscribers:

RoomMagazineReaders’Survey2016RESULTSNumberofrespondents(N)=246

Subscribers(pastandcurrent):n=139/Non-Subscribers:n=107

PreparedbyMeghanBell,Publisher,[email protected]

Insomecases,wesplitthedataintosubscribersandnon-subscribers,andintotwogroupsbasedonage(duetocallsformoreagediversitylaterinthesurvey).Thisisinordertobetterunderstandourreadershipandtakestepstoimprove.PARTONE–Subscribers/PrintMagazine

3.Whyareyouunlikelytorenewyoursubscription,orwhydidyouletitlapse?N=53

IfoundanothermagazinethatIprefer-3.8%

IdonothavetimetoreadRoom-15.1%

Iamnotinterestedinthemagazine-7.5%

Tooexpensive-18.9%

IprefertoreadRoomcontentonline-3.8%

Irotatemagazinesubscriptions-39.6%

Yourcontestguidelinesaretoolimited-3.8%

Other-7.5%

2.Willyourenewyoursubscription?(Includingviaacontest).N=139

YesIwilldeOinitelyrenew-32.4%

Iwilllikelyrenewmysub-38.1%

Iamunlikelytorenewmysub-3.6%

Idon'tknow-16.5%

Ihavealreadyletmysublapse-5.0%

Idonotplanonrenewing-4.3%

1.DoYouSubscribetoRoom?N=246

No,IhaveneverbeenasubscribertoRoom-43.5%

No,IamnotacurrentsubscriberbutIusedtohaveasubscription-21.1%

Yes,Iamacurrentsubscriber-35.4%

1a.DoYouSubscribetoRoom?39&Younger,N=124

No,Ihaveneverbeenasubscriber-54.8%

No,butIusedtohaveasubscription-13.7%


1b.DoYouSubscribetoRoom?40AndOlder,N=109

No,Ihaveneverbeenasubscriber-31.2%

No,butIusedtohaveasubscription-30.3%


4.Haveyoueverpurchasedasingleissue/backissueofRoom?N=246

No-48.4%

Yes,onanewsstand-45.9%

Yes,onRoom'swebsite-5.7%

5.Whatwereyourreasonsforbuyingasingleissue?

Iwasinterestedintheissuetheme-25.1%

Iknewoneofthecontributors-12.1%

Iknewtheeditorand/orassistant-0.9%

Iwantedtoreadanissuebeforecommittingtoasubscription-23.3%

IwasinterestedinreadingworkbyaspeciOiccontributor-12.6%

Ilikedthecoverart-11.7%

Ireadsamplecontentonthewebsite-6.3%

Other-8.1%

6.HaveyoueverreadanissueofRoomatalibrary?

N=246

No-71.5%

Yes-28.5%

4a.Haveyoueverpurchasedasingleissue/backissue?39AndYounger,N=124

No-39.5%



4b.Haveyoueverpurchasedasingleissue/backissue?40AndOlder,N=109

No-57.8%



7.Wheredidyou\irstdiscoverRoom?N=246

Bookstore(New)Family/Friend/CoworkerCourse,seminar,orworkshopLibraryInternetSearchLiteraturewebsiteSocialmediaAdinanotherlitmag/websiteReading,festival,orlaunchBlogpostorarticleUsedBookstore/ValueVillageDon'trecall/other

8.HowfrequentlydoyoureadprintcopiesofRoom?

Quarterly(everyissue)-30.5%

2-3issuesperyear-22.8%

1issueperyear-18.7%

Lessthan1issueperyear-14.6%

IhaveneverreadacopyofRoom-13.4%

10.HowlonghaveyoubeenreadingRoommagazine?N=212

Lessthanoneyear-16%

Between1and5years-49.5%




Morethan20years-3.3%

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180

TodiscovernewwritersToresearchformyownwritingTosupportwomen'sliteratureTosupportCanadianliterature

Toreadinterviewswithinterestingwomentoreadbookreviews

ToreadOiction,poetry,andCNFTosupportmyfriend/familymember'swritingBecauseRoompublishedmyownwritingorart

IjustenjoyitI'minterestedinatheme

Ipreferwritingandartbywomenandgenderqueer

9.WhydoyoureadRoommagazine?

9.WhydoyoureadRoommagazine?

11.TypicallyhowmanypeoplereadyourcopiesofRoombesidesyou?N=211

IhaveneverownedacopyofRoom-7.1%

Nooneelse-46.4%

1-3otherpeople-45%

4-6otherpeople-1.4%

12.HowlongdoyousaveacopyofRoom?N=212

IhaveneverownedacopyofRoom-7.5%Inevergetridofmycopies-56.6%24monthsormore-15.6%12-24months-10.8%

1-12months-7.1%

Lessthanonemonth-1.4%AsI'mdonereadingit-0.9%

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

FictionPoetry

CreativeNon-FictionInterview

BookReviewsBackRoomInterviewRoommateInterview

ArtandArtistStatements

13.WhichsectionsdoyoualwaysreadinRoom?

13.WhichsectionsdoyoualwaysreadinRoom?

15.Ofalltheissuesyou’veread,whichonedidyouenjoythemost?(NotethatthesurveywasconductedwhenFieldworkwasonnewsstandsandthemostrecentlymailedissue)

16.Isthereapieceofwritingfromarecentissuethatyouparticularlyenjoyedorthatyoufoundparticularlymemorable?Pleasenameitbelow.DrowningNotWavingbyMNourbeSePhilip(x7)BestPracticesforTimeTravelbyDorettaLau(x5)EllipticalNarrationsbyCanisiaLubrin(x2)FishingbySerenaShipp(x2)ReelbyLauraLegge(x2)MatchbyDianaSwennesSmithInterviewwithEmilyCarrollInterviewwithMarieAnnharteBakerMyMother’sHousebySharonButalaSheDoneMeWrongSongbyCatherineMcNeilHorizon-edbyChelseyClammerInterviewwithJoyKogawamiscackanisbyCara-LynMorganLoveYou,ByebySharonBalaYakMeditations:ATraveller’sBurdenHonestWorkbyMarilynGearPillingInterviewwithCecilyNicholsonBunny-LoverbyNadjaHazard

TheUndefendedBorderbyAbbyPaigeWaitingbyClaraKumagaiInterviewwithHarshaWaliaSanctus,Sanctus,SanctusbyElizaRobertsonNorthernBlingbyAnnieLawFiveFull-ColourDreamsofMarieCurieTheRiverPhoenixSocialClubbyMonicaPachecoMamaOmidabySarahChristinaBrownTangerinebyAmyRoherThePartybyTaniaHershmanArtist,Artist,Judas,SaintbyEKristinAndersonSaturdayFamilyPicnicsbyShoshannaWingateCovalentBondbyHiromiGotoLamentbyEdenRobinsonEverybodyOutofthePoolbyNaokoKumagaiWolves,Cigarettes,GumbyAmyJonesWhatGrowsbyRebeccaFissehaTheWholeAnimalbyCorinnaChong

0 5 10 15 20 25

FictionPoetry

CreativeNon-FictionInterview

BookReviewsBackRoomInterviewRoommateInterview

ArtandArtistStatements

14.WhichsectionsdoyouneverreadinRoom?

14.WhichsectionsdoyouneverreadinRoom?

17.ArethereanythemesyouwouldliketoseeRoomaddressinthefuture?

18.Doyouhaveanyfeedbackonthenewprintmagazinedesign?Responseswereoverwhelminglypositive,howevertwopeoplerequestedalargerfontsizeandtwopeoplecommentedthattheydidnotliketheredesignbutdidnotspecifyfurther.Afewselectedcommentsarebelow.

Ithinkitlooksgood,verymodernandoftoday.Ilikethebigfontonthecoveradvertisingwhat'sinsideanditsplacementonthepage.It'smadeofqualitypaperandtheinteriortextfontiseasyontheeyesaswell.Greatjob!

Idon'thaveanycontexttotheolddesign,havingonlythecurrentissueandabriefskimofthepreviousissuetogoonexperientially.AsfarasthecurrentdesignIquitelikeitssleeksimplicity.It'spreciselythetypeofdesignIliketoseeinaprintmagazine.Irecentlyspentanhouratmylocalindependentbookstoreperusingalltheliteraryjournalstheyhad,andRoomfallseasilyintomytopfivefavouritesofarasdesigngoes.

Ilikeit.IfindgreaterreadereasewithROOMthanwithotherlitmagsIread.

Ifeelthatthenewdesigndrawsattentiontothemagazinenicely.Ican'thelpbutnoticethatitstandsoutamongtheotherliterarymagazinesinChapters.

19.DoyouhaveanyothercommentsonthecontentofrecentissuesofRoommagazine?Whilethemajorityofresponseswerepositive(around20commentswerevariationsof“greatjob”,“loveit”,and“excellent”,whileotherscomplimentedindividualpiecesofwriting),wedidreceivesomenegativefeedbackandsuggestions,whichwelookforwardtotakingintoconsiderationmovingforward.Afewselectedcommentsarebelow:

Ienjoythecoverartanduniquethemesforissues.It'sagreatmagazineandIrecommendittomywriterandartistfriends.

Iloveallthecontent.TherearesomanytalentedwomenouttherewhoremindmethatI'mnotalonewhohasapassionandistryinglikehelltomakealivingatitandtoshareitwiththeworld!Ilikehowit'sstayingclearonthemissionofwomen'swritingbutalsobeingsoconsciouslyinclusiveofmorediversity.AlsoI'menjoyingtheartalot.

IalwaysenjoythecontentinRoom.Ialwaysreadacoupleofthestoriesandusuallyreadallofthepoems.TherearealwaysatleastafewthingsI'vereadineveryissueofRoomthatstayinmymindforawhileafterIreadit--whichisalwaysasignofengaging,thoughtfulwriting.

Istillfindit'favours'westcoastwriterswhichisashame-thiswidecountryhassuchdiversecultures

IstoppedbuyingmysubscriptionbecauseIdidn'tfeelthemagazinerelatedtome.IsubmittedmyworkinthepasttoyourcontestsbutIrealizedtheydon'tfitthestyleofwritingyouarelookingfor.Iamolder(age76)thantheagegroupRoomcaterstoandoftenfindthestorieshavelittleappealforme.IdolikeRoomandwashappytosupportitandreadit.Ifounditexcitingmanyyearsagobutnolongerfeelthesameway.

Whileit'snicetohavefreshnewwriting,itwouldbeniceifitfeltlikethemagazinealsocateredtothoseofusover40,andpublishedsomethingthatwemightliketoread.

Yourwordlimitistoolow.Idon'tsendmybestworktoRoombecausemostofmybestpiecesarearound4Kwords.

moreworkingclass(white)women,pocandindigenouswriters,butdon'tbetokenistic,reallymoveoverandsharespace.it'sawonderfulmagazinewitharespectedhistoryandcanleadtheway.:)

Ithinkyoushouldincludemorediversewritersinalleditions,notjustwomenofcolourbutalsopeoplewithdisabilities.Ithinkit'simportanttonotjusthavecreativenon-fictionfromdiversewritersbecauseweareallhuman&wecanwritestories&poetryaswellasablebodiedpeople,perhapsgivingawholenewperspective.AlsoIthinkyoushouldincludeayoungadultgenrebecauseIthinktherearealotofdifferentconceptswhethernon-fiction,fictionorpoetrythatcouldbenew&different.Ithinkitwouldsetyourmagazineapartfromsomeoftheothersinvancouver&openyourmagazineuptoahostofamazingtalentfromwomenwriters.

PARTTWO–Website&OnlineMagazine

20.Howfrequentlydoyouvisitourwebsite?N=246Atleastonceaday-0.8%

Atleastonceaweek-9.8%

Atleastonceamonth-28.5%

Atleastonceevery3months-19.1%

Atleastonceevery6months-17.5%

Atleastonceperyear-10.2%

Lessthanonceperyear1.6%

ThisismyOirsttimevisiting-12.6%

21.Howfrequentlydoyoureadcontentonourwebsite?N=246

Whenevernewcontentisadded-3.3%

Atleastonepostperweek-8.5%

Atleastonepostpermonth-22.8%

Atleastonepostevery3months-15.4%

Atleastonepostevery6months-13.0%

Atleastonepostperyear-10.2%

Lessthanonepostperyear-7.7%

Ihaveneverreadonlinecontent-19.1%

24.Asyoumayhavenoticed,werecentlyredesignedourwebsite.We’restilllookingtoimprovethesite,andyourfeedbackisgreatlyappreciated.Intheboxbelow,pleaseletusknowwhatyoulikeordislikeaboutournewwebsite.Mostofthefeedbackwasbriefandpositive(variationsof“looksgreat”and“user-friendly”).Threepeoplerequestedalargernavigationbar,andthreepeoplesaidthehomepagewascluttered.Ahandfulofadditionalcommentsareincludedbelow:

IlikehoweasilyIcannavigatethroughcontentonmyphone.Nice,cleaninterface.Iappreciatethatthereisnothingovertly/stereotypically""feminine""aboutthewebsite.Thenewsiteisclean,fresh,andeasytonavigate.IfindthecolourseasierontheeyesthanRoom'spreviouswebsite,andthat'sverywelcome.TheonesuggestionIhaveistomovethesearchfunctionclosertothetopofthepage--Ikeepforgettingit'slurkingdownthereatthebottom!

Itisunclear,onceclickedon,whenissuesarefrom.Iwouldliketohaveanideaofwhenanissuewaspublished.Ilikethatyoulistallthecontributors.Theoptionsatthetopofthepageareeasilynavigated.Thesitelooksgood.IlovethatIcanreadpiecesonlineandthatyouhavephotosofwriters,thissomehowmakesthemmoreaccessibleandmakesitfeellikeRoomvaluesthewholewriter,notjustthisonepiece.Theinterviewsofupcomingjudgesisveryhelpfulandinformative.Ifinditeasytonavigatethesite.

0 20 40 60 80 100 120

FictionPoetry

CreativeNon-Fiction#LitMagLove

InterviewswithIssueEditorsInterviewswithContestJudges

InterviewswithContestWinnersInterviewswithAuthors

BookReviewsTheatreandFilmReviews

BookRecommendations(lists)AuthorRecommendations(lists)WritingSpaces/WritingTools

Other

22.Whichsectionsdoyouenjoyreadingonourwebsite?

22.Whichsectionsdoyouenjoyreadingonourwebsite?

23.Doesthefactthatyoucanreadasmallselectionfromeachissueoftheprintmagazineonlineforfreeaffectyourdecisiontosubscribe?N=246

Yes!IliketoreadexamplesofworkfromamagazinebeforeIcommittoasubscription-26.8%

Yes!IliketoreadexamplesofworkfromamagazinebeforeIsubmittoacontest-23.6%

Yes,I'mlesslikelytosubscribebecauseIcanreadwritingonlineforfree-4.5%

No,thishasnoimpactonmydecisiontosubscribe-32.9%

No,Ihaveneverreadwritingfromtheprintmagazineonline-12.2%

Ididjustgoontothesiteandfoundthelayoutveryeffective.Ilikethewayinwhichdifferentcategoriesoftopicsweredisplayedandthecolourdrewmyeyeaswell.

Insomeways,itwouldbenicetohavealinkdirectlytoweb-exclusivecontentwithouthavingtosearch--oralistoftags--inadditiontoacoupleofcolumnsofwhathasrecentlybeenposted.Ithinkthewebsitelookbetternowbutit'sstillnotveryuser-friendly.It'shardtonavigatethroughthenewandoldercontent.Thedifferentcategoriesonthemainpagearen'tdistinguishedfromeachotherenough.

0 50 100 150

Veryeasy

Easy

NotespeciallyeasyordifOicult

DifOicult

25.Howeasyordif\icultisitto\indcontentonournewwebsite?

25.HoweasyordifOicultisittoOindcontentonournewwebsite?

26.Haveyoueverreadanarticleonwww.roommagazine.comonamobile

device?N=199

Yes-39.7%

No=60.3%

27.Nowthatourwebsiteismobile-optimized,doyouthinkyouaremore

likelytoreadourcontentonyourmobiledevice?N=246

Yes-57.7%

No-32.5%

Idon'townamobiledevice-9.8% 0 50 100 150

Ivisitthewebsite

Googlesearch

Twitter

Facebook

Tumblr

E-Newsletter

Other

28.Howdoyoutypicallydiscovernewpostsonwww.roommagazine.com?

28.Howdoyoutypicallydiscovernewpostsonwww.roommagazine.com?

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

Iamnotinterestedinreadinganyarchivalcontent

Fiction

Poetry

CreativeNon-Fiction

PastContestWinners(allgenres)

Interviews

BookReviews

Writingbywell-knownwriters

29.Whattypesofarchivalcontentareyouinterestedinreadingonourwebsite?

29.Whattypesofarchivalcontentareyouinterestedinreadingonourwebsite?

30.Doyouhaveanyrecommendationsforwayswecanimprovethenewwebsite?

Forbookreviews,Iwouldlinkthebook'stitlethefirsttimeitappearsinthetexttothepublisher'swebsite.You'vedonealovelyjobwiththenewwebsite--kudostoallinvolvedintheredesign.Audiointerviewsmightbecool...

Iliketheideaofarchivalcontent,asyou'vementioned.Iknowthisisatremendousamountofwork.Ihopethecollectivehassupportinsuchabigundertaking.Goodluck.Considerdoingapodcast?Thehomepageisverybusy.Themenuoptionsareclear,butwhenIscrolldownonthehomepage,Igetalittleconfused/overwhelmed.I'mneversurewhattoclickonfirstandIdon'tunderstandhowthehomepageisorganized.Especiallyforpoetry,youhavearealopportunitytoexperimentwithform.Thinkabouttheplacementofthetextonthepageandhowyouscrollthroughapoem.Oranyinteractiveopportunitieswithpoems,thatcouldbereallyneat!

31.Arethereanyothertypesofcontentyouwouldliketoseeonourwebsite?Ahandfulofresponsesweregenericallypositive(“keepdoingwhatyou’redoing!”)Fourrespondentsrequestedapodcastand/orvideocontent.Additionalcommentsarebelow:

NewsupdatesonestablishedwritersInterviews&writingfromdiversewriters(includingpeoplewithdisabilities)

Perhapsaspecialissueonwomenandhealthandanotheronwomenandmentalhealth.MentalhealthespeciallyincludingPTSDfromchildabuse.IalsowishRoomhadareadingservice.Ijustreceivedaverypromisingrejectionbutdon'tknowwhataboutit"wasn'tquiteready".

Alistofcontributorstoeachissueoralistoftitlesfromeachissue.ItishardtotrackdownwhichoneIwanttobuybasedonhaphazardresearchnotesfromthelibrary

Nextstepforwebsiteandsocialmedia:encouragereaderstoparticipateinReimer/DuffyresolutionswithareadingclubforanyoftheformatsfeaturedinRoom--awelcomecomplementtoexistingbookclubs

PARTTHREE–SubmittingtoRoom

32.HaveyoueversubmittedwritingtoRoom?N=246

Yes-63.0%

No-37.0%

33.WouldyousubmitworktoRoomagain?N=246

Yes-85.8%

No-14.2%

PARTFOUR–SocialMedia

PARTFIVE–37.Pleaselistuptofivemagazinesthatyoureadmostfrequently.ThemajorityofrespondentslistedotherCanadianliterarymagazines,althoughahandfulofUSmagazinesalsoappearedonthelist.Thethreemostpopularanswerswere:GeistMagazineTheMalahatReviewTheWalrus

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140

TwitterFacebookTumblr

InstagramIdon'tfollowRoomonsocialmedia

34.DoyoufollowRoomonanyofthefollowing?

34.DoyoufollowRoomonanyofthefollowing?

35.DoyousubscribetoRoom'snewsletter?N=246

Yes-44.7%

No-55.3%

0 20 40 60 80 100

ContentInformationCallsforsubmissions

SubscriptiondiscountsandNewblogpostsandarticles

InformationonliteraryInformationonupcoming

36.WhydoyousubscribetoRoom'snewsletters?

36.WhydoyousubscribetoRoom'snewsletters?

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Twitter

Facebook

Tumblr

Instagram

Idon'tfollowRoomonsocialmedia

40andOlder

39andUnder

PARTSIX–Diversity

38.IsthefactthatRoomonlypublishesauthorsandartistswhoidentifyaswomenor

genderqueerimportanttoyou?N=246

Yes-80.5%

No-19.5%

39.Inyouropinion,doesRoomMagazinerepresentdiversegroupsofwomen

(includingtrans*persons,gender-variantandtwo-spiritwomen,andwomenofnon-binary

sexualorientations?)N=246

Yes-54.5%

Somewhat/DependsontheIssue-43.5%

No-2%

38a.IsthefactthatRoomonlypublishesauthorsandartistswhoidentifyaswomenorgenderqueer

importanttoyou?39andUnder,N=124

Yes-85.5%

No-14.5%

38b.IsthefactthatRoomonlypublishesauthorsandartistswhoidentifyaswomenorgenderqueer

importanttoyou?40andOlder,N=109

Yes-74.3%

No-25.7%

39a.DoesRoomMagazinerepresentdiversegroupsofwomen?39andUnder,N=124

Yes-58.0%

Somewhat/DependsontheIssue-38.7%

No-3.2%

39b.DoesRoomMagazinerepresentdiversegroupsofwomen?40andOlder,N=109

Yes-50.5%

Somewhat/Dependsontheissue-48.6%

No-0.9%

39c.Subscribers,N=87

Yes-65.5%


No-1.1%

39d.FormerSubscribers,N=52

Yes-53.8%


No-3.8%

39e.Non-Subscribers,N=107

Yes-45.8%


No-1.9%

41.PleasetellusmoreaboutwhyyoudoordonotfindRoomrepresentativeofdiversegroupsofwomen.Wewelcomeallfeedback,includingsuggestionsforhowwecanimproverepresentationinourpages.Asignificantnumberofcommentsonourdiversitywerepositive(N=14):

IlikethefactthatRoomspecificallyseeksworkbydiversegroupsofwomenwhoareunderrepresentedinCanadianliterature.Thespecificcallsforsubmissionareimportant(i.e.'womenofcolour'issues),asishavingeditorswhoarerepresentativeofdiversity.

RoomistheonlymagazinethatIreadthathasawell-definedgoalofaddressingtheissueofdiversitythroughitscontent,contributorsandvolunteers.Inmylimitedexposurethusfar,Ihavereadworkbywomenofvaryingethnicbackgrounds.Asawomanwhoidentifiesasbothaboriginalandqueer,IfeelwelcomedbythecontentI'veseensofarandfeelencouragedbyRoomwriterstoexplorethemesinmywritingthatImightnototherwiseconsider.

SeveralrespondentsnotedareaswhereRoomcouldimproveitsdiversity,inparticularinclusionofolderwomen,trans*/non-binarycontributors,andwomenofcolour.Aselectionofcommentsareincludedbelow:

I'dliketoreadmorewritingbynon-whitewomenwhodon'tjustwriteaboutbeingnon-white.Ithinkthediversityandqualityoftheworkisasormoreimportantthanthediversityofthewriters...Itwouldbecooltoseemoreintersectingidentitiesrepresented.

PerhapsifyouhavemoreWOC/trans/nonbinaryindividualsamongstyourreaderswhoreadinitialpieces,thechancesofworkswrittenbyindividualswhoarewoc/transetc.wouldbehigher.Thereneedstoadiversityamongyourreaderssothatsuchdiversitycanreflectinthemagazine.

diversityisn'tabout'invitingmorepeopleintoawhitespace'.that'stokenism.it'saboutgivingoverthespacecompletelyandlettingthesocialnormsandassumptionsandaestheticsetcbecausedeterminedbyfolkswhohaven'ttraditionallyhadthatpowerinthatspace.there'vebeensomegoodmovesandI'mhopingtoseemore!thisincludesnotjustpocandindigenouswritersbutalsowhiteworkingclass/poorwriters.Youdonotmentionwomenofcolour,olderwomen,immigrantwomen,etc.inthequestionsabove.Iaminterestedinhearingthewholespectrumofwomen'svoice/experience/ageetc.Tomymind"diversegroupsofwomen"isnotlimitedtosexualorientation(asyourpreviousquestionseemstoindicate),whichiswhymyanswerwas"somewhat/depends".Somanywomenexperiencetrauma.IwouldappreciateitifRoomwasabletoincludemoreofthisandgetawayfromthenotionthatallstoriesmusthaveahappyending.Itjustisn’treallife.

40.Inthelast\iveyears,doyouthinkRoomhasbecomemorerepresentativeofdiversegroupsofwomen?N=246

Yes,IthinkRoomismorediversethanOiveyearsago-35.8%

No,IthinkRoomisequallydiversecomparedtoOiveyearsago-5.3%

No,IthinkRoomislessdiversecomparedtoOiveyearsago-0.8%

Idon'thaveenoughinformationtoanswerthisquestion-58.1%

Thisisahardquestiontoanswersincetherearethemedissues.Assuchititdifficulttorepresentallgroupsofwomenandgenderqueerwhenthetopicoftheissueisfocusedonsomethingthatcanexcludeothers.

Idon'tthinkI'vehadenoughexposuretoproperlyanswerthisquestion--Roomisafairlynewmagazineforme.However,asawriteritwasincrediblywonderfultohaveamagazinespecificallyincludethebroadcategoryofgenderqueerauthorinamagazineforfeminism--it'sveryeasytogetlostasafemale-performingindividualwhoidentifiesasgenderqueer,andthatinclusivitywasoneofthefirstenvironmentswhereIfeltmyidentitywasbeingacknowledgedas"existing".Thankyou.However,sinceIdidn'tknowyouwereinclusiveofgenderqueeruntilIgottothesubmissionspage,possiblyincludingsomethingre:beinginclusiveofgenderqueerindividuals(andnotjustciswomen)onthe"AboutRoom"pagewouldbereallywonderful.Youincludeitasaquestiononyourfaq,soI'mjustsuggestingyoumakeitobviousenoughthatitdoesn'thavetobeapartofthefaq.(Alsointhefaqyouincludequeerbutnotgenderqueer/nonbinary--queerisoftenassociatedwithsexualitymorethangender,soitmightbegoodtoexplicitlymentiongender,sincethat'swhatyou'redealingwith)

IbelieveRoom'scollectivemodelandguesteditorsissolidintermsofensuringdiversity.MoreguesteditorsthataretranswomenandWoCwouldexciteme,andIwouldcertainlypromoteRoommoreandmorethemorediversityIsee.IfRoomhadunlimitedresources,IwouldsuggestamentorshipprogramtoengageemergingorbrandnewWoCandtranswomenwriters.

Veryrepresentativeofdifferentracesandcultures,somewhatofdifferentgendersandorientations,almostnon-representativeofdifferentabilities

Whileothercommentsexpressedconcernthatwe’vebecometoofocusedondiversity(N=4):

Ithinkthatdiversityisimportant,butthinkthatfinewritingismoreimportant.Sometimesoriginalityissacrificedatthealtarofdiversity.Givemewritingthatexplodes,makesmetingle,makesthehaironmyarmstandonend.Whoevertheauthoris.Regardingthislastquestion,itisgreatthatRoomstrivestobesodiverse,butwhatitdidformeisthatitwentalittleoverboard.Whathappenedtofemalewriterslivingamore"standard"experience?HasthisbecomeboringtoRoom?

PARTSEVEN–Demographics(OptionalQuestions)

Facebook–AgeStatistics(N=2,795Likes)13-17: 0.14% 18-24: 9.4%25-34: 28.5% 35-44: 22.3%45-54: 16.7% 55-64: 10.7%65+: 8.5% ??: 3.8%GoogleAnalytics–AgeStatisticsMay26,2015–May26,2016N=83,527sessions(outof139,981totalsessions)18-24: 20.08%25-34: 27.69% 35-44: 17.80%45-54: 14.74% 55-64: 11.65%65+: 8.04%

42.Howoldareyou?SurveyAnswers,N=233

20orunder-4.1%

21-29-22.8%

30-39-23.6%

40-49-19.1%

50-59-13.4%

60-69-9.3%

70orolder-2.4%

Facebook–AgeStatistics(N=2,795Likes)Female:86% Male:10% Other/Unknown:4%Twitter–GenderStatistics(N=5,778)Female:80% Male:20%GoogleAnalytics–GenderStatisticsMay26,2015–May26,2016N=92,639sessions(outof139,981totalsessions)Female:73.42% Male:26.58%

43.Whatisyourgender?N=224

Female-94.2%

Male-2.7%

Genderqueer-0.9%

Non-Binary-0.9%

Fluid-0.4%

Bigender-0.4%

Free-spirited-0.4%

44.Doyouconsideryourselfafeminist?N=237

Yes-94.1%

No-5.9%

45.Whichofthefollowingbestdescribesyourannualhouseholdincome?N=213

Under$25,000-20.2%

$25,000-$39,999-17.8%

$40,000-$54,999-14.1%

$55,000-$69,999-7.5%

$70,000-$84,999-6.6%

$85,000-$99,999-6.6%

Morethan$100,000-14.1%

Prefernottoanswer-13.1%

46.Whichofthefollowingbestdescribesyouremploymentstatus?N=227

Student-15.4%

Full-Time-27.7%

Part-Time-12.3%

Self-Employed-29.1%

Unemployed-5.7%

Disabled-2.6%

Other-1.8%

Retired-5.3%

LocationStatisticsTwitter(N=5,778)Canada:63% Ontario:27% Toronto:9%BC:21% Vancouver:9%Alberta:5%Quebec:4%UnitedStates:24%California:4%NewYork:3%UnitedKingdom:6%Other:7%

LocationStatisticsFacebook(N=2,795)Canada:64.2%Vancouver:11.5%Toronto:9.8%UnitedStates:16.8%Thailand:5.1%UnitedKingdom:1.7%Other:12.2%

LocationStatisticsGoogleAnalytics(N=139,981)Canada:46.82%Toronto:9.03%Vancouver:6.71%Montreal:2.01%Calgary:1.85%UnitedStates:30.40%UnitedKingdom:11.49%Other:11.29%

LocationStatisticsBasedon38.4,39.1,39.2Subscribers(N=1,181)Canada:86.88%BC:34.58%Ontario:30.41%Alberta:5.72%Quebec:4.20%UnitedStates:11.63%UnitedKingdom:0.62%Other:0.87%

LocationStatisticsJan2014-April2017Submissions(N=4,843)Canada:50.61%Ontario:21.74%BC:15.14%Alberta:4.54%Quebec:3.49%UnitedStates:39.71%Other:9.68%

49.Arethereanyothercommentsyouwouldliketoadd?Themajorityofcommentswerepositive(“Greatwork”/“IloveRoom”/“Thankyou”),howevertherewereafewsuggestionsandcriticisms.Aselectionofcommentsareincludedbelow:

IonlydiscoveredthemagazineinthefallandILOVEit!Wow-IliveintheYukonTerritory,&itdoesn'tevenmakeitontoyourlist!(Embarrassedlook,didwereallyforgetaterritory?We’resosorry!)

IamgladthatRoomoffersaforumfordiversewomen.However,genderisnotsomethingthatisonmyradarwhenI'mchoosingwhattoread.Myfavouriteauthorshappentobewomen-notbecauseIspecificallyseekoutwomentoread,butsimplybecausetheyareoutstandingwritersandIenjoytheirbooksandstories.IwillalwaysbegratefultoRoommagazineforgivingmetheopportunitytopublishmywork.Ithasbeensuchavalidatingexperiencetohaveevenjustonestorypublished.

Ithinkyourmagazinedoesagreatjobpromotingemergingwriters,whilealsocelebratingandencouragingmoreestablishedauthorstocontinuetowriteandpublish.Roomseemsclassist/exclusionaryattimesinaccessibletowomenwithdisabilitiesandthosewhoareundereducatedduetopoverty.

Writingisawholetoworldtome,Ifeelthatyouandyourmagazinewereveryhelpfulinlookingatmyworkcriticallyaswellasbeingreallysupportive.Itmadeadifferencefrombeingturnedonorturnedoff,thankyou

47.Wheredoyoulive?N=236

Canada-88.6%

UnitedStates-8.1%

UnitedKingdom-2.5%

Jamaica-0.4%

UAE-0.4%

48.Whichprovinceorterritorydoyoulivein?N=207

BC-39.1%

Alberta-4.8%

Saskatchewan-4.8%

Manitoba-2.9%

Ontario-36.7%

Quebec-3.9%

NewBrunswick-0.5%

NovaScotia-5.3%

Newfoundland-1.9%

IloveRoom.Simpleasthat.Becauseitsupportswomenandtheirpassiontowrite,iteliminatesalargeportionofthewritingworldthatcanoftenmakeitdifficultforwomenofdiversitytohavetheirvoicesheardandtheirwritingread.

IhavetosaythatIhatesomeoftheartworkinyourmagazine.Again,Idon'tfindittobeanythingthatwouldappealtomostofusover40.

IloveRoom!Proudtobeasubscriber.Ithinkit'dbefuntofindothersubscribersinmycity..itcouldbeaninterestingwaytoconnectwithotherlike-mindedpeople.It'dbewonderfulifRoomhostedsomeeventsinmajorcities,likepoetry/bookreadingsornetworkingnights.

Highqualityofcontentisbetterthantheme.Thefactthatthejournalhasbeensoconsistentlyhighqualitydrawsreaderswhowanttobeinthisgoodcompany.

Thankyouforchampioningwomen'svoicesintheCanadianliterarylandscape!

Keepuptheexcellentwork!IalwayslookforwardtoreceivingmylatestissueofRoom.Thanksforallyourhardworkandcomingupwithinterestingthemesthatinspirewriters(I'mespeciallyexcitedtoreadtheupcomingGothicissue!)Ilookforwardtoreadingmorefromyourmagazine.SometimesIforgetaboutitbecausetherearemanyreadingoptionsoutthere.WhenIamremindedofyou,itisbecauseofapostfromapreviousteacherorstudentinFeminist/Queer/Decolonialstudies.

IloveRoommagazine.Ithinkyourmagazineseekstobeinclusiveandtogivevoicetoanumberofexperiencesandperspectives.Moreimportantlyitshowcasesamazingpiecesfromwritersatallstagesofourcraft.TheprintversioniswhatdrewmetoRoom.IhopethatthestartofawebsitewithcontentwillnottakeawayfromtheprintversionofRoom.Nothingcanreplacethefeelingofholdingabookandturningthepage.Roomhaschampionedthewayforotherwomen-centeredpublicationsandifmoneywerenotanobject,I'dhavesubscribedalongtimeago.Yes,Ibelieveolderwomenareseldomportrayedeitherinfictionornonfiction.Weareahuge,butinvisible,audience.Carryon.WeneedRoominthenationalliteraryconversation.Thanksforemployingasocialjusticemodelasyoucontinuetogrowasalitmag.Youarehelpingtodisruptthewhiteandmaledominatedliterarymainstream.IwillreadRoomforlife.IwenttoschoolinNewYorkCityandlearnedthatyourmagazineiswellrespectedwithinliterarycirclesthere

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Room Readers Survey 2016 FINAL Readers... · 2016-06-05 · Room Magazine Readers’ Survey 2016 RESULTS Number of respondents (N) = 246 Subscribers (past and current): n=139 / Non-Subscribers: