The educational platform Netology and the publishing house Alpina.Children conducted a joint study and found out how many Russians dream of writing a book.
How many people in the country want to write a book?
As the study showed, 33% of Russians dreamed of writing a book or a film script as a child, and more than half (56%) would like to do this as an adult.
Among those who would like to create their own work, 55% dream of becoming the authors of a fiction book, 41% would like to create a script for a film, TV series or cartoon. 20% aspire to write a children’s book, with women (22%) expressing more interest in children’s literature than men (11%).
Every fifth person (18%) is attracted to the non-fiction genre. 14% would like to be poets and publish their own collection of poems, and only 4% of respondents are thinking about writing self-fiction.
Among those interested in children’s literature, 28% would like to write a book for preschoolers and primary schoolchildren, and 63% – for teenagers over 13 years old. Among the main features of children’s literature, respondents emphasized stimulating imagination and interactivity, as well as simple and understandable language.
Almost a quarter of all respondents (22%) who would like to become authors do not believe in their literary abilities, 62% of respondents doubt them, but are ready to work on improving. At the same time, women (63%) are even slightly more confident in their abilities than men (61%). Only 12% are confident that they can handle writing their own book or screenplay.
Interestingly, 17% of future authors surveyed say they are actively seeking resources and guidance to improve their storytelling skills. Almost half say the most effective ways to quickly grow as an author are mentoring from famous writers (49%) and online learning (47%). Also, one in four respondents (26%) join online writing communities to receive advice and support from other members.
“The ability to tell captivating stories, open up audiences to other worlds and give unforgettable emotions is, above all, a craft that can be learned. In the screenwriting and storytelling courses at Netology, we strive to give students not only the necessary hard skills, but also personal experience of leading experts, and a supportive community of students, which allows them to exchange ideas and unite for joint creative projects.”– comments Tatyana Smirnova, head of educational product department at Netology.
The majority of respondents (48%) do not take up their work due to lack of time, and 30% of future authors are stopped by fear of criticism. At the same time, women (31%) are more susceptible to other people’s opinions than men (24%). Some are also concerned about a lack of understanding of how the publishing business works and the fear of not finding their audience.
Interestingly, only 20% of future authors are interested in financial gain (multiple choice question), and men and women are at approximately the same level of interest in writing income (21% and 19%, respectively). Most dream of owning a book or screenplay for self-fulfillment (64%) and the opportunity to share their story (42%). Among the spontaneous answers, respondents noted other goals: “to help young mothers get through a difficult period”, “share knowledge with children”give to teenagers “an adult friend who would tell them that everything is ok”.
The study was conducted using an online survey in April 2024 among residents of million-plus cities over 18 years of age.
