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Reader Survey - Digital Fiction Platforms (RSFFE Genres)

This research is conducted by Juliette Patterson as part of her Executive MBA at the Paris School of Business and Technology, under the supervision of Professor Rony Germon. It focuses on trust and perceived value in digital fiction platforms — and more specifically on what makes a reader genuinely attach to one platform rather than another. Your answers are anonymous. What matters here is your real experience, not what you think we want to hear. Allow about 10 minutes.

For each element below, indicate how much it matters to you when choosing a digital fiction platform.

Essential
Important
Quite important
Not very important
Not important at all
The ability to interact directly with authors
Easy discovery of new titles matched to your tastes
The reading experience (interface, e-reader, comfort)
An active reader community
Writing quality : knowing books are written by real human authors, not AI-generated
Breadth and diversity of the catalogue
Platform integrity : data privacy, fair pay for authors, transparency
Editorial quality : books that are properly formatted, proofread and edited
Price of books

What is your biggest frustration with the platforms you use today?

How many digital books do you read on average per month in Romance, Science Fiction, Fantasy or Erotica?

A
B
C
D

Which platforms do you primarily read or buy from?

Select all that apply

Do you actively participate in online reading communities? (BookTok, Bookstagram, Discord, Reddit…)

A
B
C

Has it ever happened that you started reading a book (bought individually or via a subscription) and realised mid-read that it seemed largely AI-generated?

A
B
C
D
E

If yes : how did you spot it?

Select all that apply

To what extent does the presence of AI-generated content on platforms affect your trust in new releases?

1 - Not at all
5 - A great deal

When you discover a book by an author you don't yet know, how decisive is each of the following in convincing you to give it a chance?

Matters a lot
Rarely Matters
Never Matters
The author being active and accessible on social media
Advertising or a visible marketing campaign
A literary award or prize
A recommendation in a community (BookTok, Discord, Reddit…)
The ability to read a substantial extract (10–30%)
The reputation of the publishing house
A review or article in a newspaper or magazine
A low price or promotion
The chance to attend an event with the author, ask questions, or get a dedication
Cover and blurb
An algorithm recommendation from the platform
Ratings and reviews from other readers on the platform

Have you ever stopped trusting a reading platform because of catalogue quality?

A
B

If yes, why ?

If a platform guaranteed that every book sold had been verified as written by a human (through a forensic audit), how would that change your behaviour?

A
B
C
D

In one or two sentences: what would make you genuinely trust this kind of certification? And what would make you doubt it?

When you buy a digital book, does it matter to you that the author is fairly paid for their creative work ?

The way you might think about fair trade for other products?
A
B
C
D

If a platform guaranteed both the human authenticity of the works AND transparent, fair pay for authors, would that strengthen your attachment to it compared to a standard platform?

A
B
C
D
E

On the platforms you use today, how often do you interact directly with authors?

A
B
C
D

Imagine a platform where you can ask your favourite authors questions directly, access exclusive content, and vote on the platform's direction. To what extent would these features strengthen your attachment?

1 - Not at all
5 - Enormously

Describe in a few words the type of interaction with an author that would have the most value for you.

Among these three elements, which would most strengthen your trust in a digital fiction platform?

A
B
C

If a platform combined all three (a certified human library with fair author pay, an active community, and direct access to authors) how likely would you be to migrate to it from your current platform?

1 - Not at all likely
5 - Extremely likely

What would still hold you back?

Thank you for your time. Your responses are genuinely valuable to this research.