Who reads & writes MM ROMANCE?

(and why we need to talk about it)

survey QUEStions

This survey went live to publishing authors in MM, gay, Achillean, and/or queer romance on 13 June 2024. I ​posted the link on my public Facebook profile, solicited responses from 5-7 male authors via cold-contact ​messaging, and asked others to share the link or direct others my way. There were two surveys with essentially ​the same questions. One survey was for respondents who identify as queer (LGBTQIAA2S+) men. One survey ​was for respondents who identify as anything other than a queer (LGBTQIAA2S+) man. The only difference in ​questions was to tailor wording or clarify a question to make it specific to the respective respondent (indicated ​below with a / between questions). All surveys were automatically submitted anonymously, and emails were ​not collected. As seen in Question 1, authors had the opportunity to share their name and/or email with me (not ​to be made public). I worded Question 12 in a deliberately polemical way. It is a loaded question and often ​treated as the only thing being discussed in this much larger conversation about queer romance books.

Name/Email, if you want to share (I will keep your answers anonymous and confidential.)

How long have you been writing and/or publishing MM romance? Do you write any other genres?

How long have you been writing and/or publishing MM romance? Do you write any other genres?

What inspired you to write MM romance? (And/or what do you hope readers get out of or feel because of your books?)

Who do you imagine your audience to be when you sit down to write or revise? (And/or, how does this imagined audience ​influence you when you start writing or revising?) Does your “ideal” audience differ from your actual audience? If so, how?

Why do you think women make up the majority of authors and readers of MM romance?

A very broad question: what do you see as concerns or (potential) problems with women (or non-queer men) being the ​majority of MM author- and readership?

A very broad question: what do you see as positives or (potential) benefits to so many women (or non-queer men) ​reading and writing MM romance?

How would you define or describe “fetishization,” specifically in the context of queer men written and read by women?

Can you remember a specific example of a book, storyline, or character written by a woman (or non-queer man, as ​identified to the best of your knowledge) that felt hypersexualized, stereotypical, or otherwise inauthentic?)

Do you think main characters should only be written by authors who share identity demographics? (eg, only gay men ​should write gay men; only Black women should write Black women; etc.)

For authors writing MM who are not queer men, do you have advice or ideas on how to avoid fetishizing or objectifying ​queer men in their books? / How do you avoid fetishizing or objectifying queer men in your books? (and/or How do ​you try to avoid fetishizing or objectifying queer men in your books?)

What have your experiences been like when discussing this topic with others, if you have discussed this with others?

Do you have any other thoughts on this topic you want to share?