Gender Gap in Book Blogging

[Skip O'Neal]

I think most of us have noticed that a great majority of book bloggers are women. I did a little survey and some thinking about the phenonmenon on my own blog, but wanted to see what the book blogging commmunity thinks causes such a disparity?

Any great ideas?

Thanks,

Skip

The Reading Ape 

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

Speaking of "for-pleasure reading" . . .

Most of the women whose blogs I read are housewives and students, who presumably have more time to read simply for pleasure--or lesser repercussions if they drop everything else to read. I myself have a very low-pressure job that doesn't require a lot of my time. Perhaps that has something to do with it?

I remember a reflective blog post by a homeschooling mother, who had just read some Plato with her children, which opined that housewives, and in particular the homeschoolers, are the new leisure class.

[Mary Salvato]

I hadnt really noticed that most book bloggers were women. Most parenting bloggers (which I am mainly) are women but men are becoming more prevalent.

[Kathleen Garber]

Yes I've noticed it and the comments so far are interesting. I think it's a little about all of those:

- more women read
- men blogs don't use the label book blogs (it does seem the big name literature blogs are run by men)
- book blogs are mainly fiction which might be read more by women

Or possibly women just like to talk more so we like reviewing where as most men are satisified with just reading it.

I am a nonfiction book blogger and we are few and far between as well. I wonder why that is too.

[Stormi Johnson]

I have noticed there are a lot more women than men too. I try to follow a male blogger when I find one because I like to know there opinion on books too, but they are hard to find.

[Charity L.]

I think a lot of the people who blog are women who stay at home or are younger ladies like college students. I believe they have more time to review books and to blog. Just my opinion:)

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

I agree with you, Charity. =) Women generally have more time for these things.

And given the feminine "look" book blogging has achieved as a result, I can't imagine a lot of men would get into it.

[Skip O'Neal]

I've heard this before and maybe it's true. But men who work find time for all sorts of other activities (sports, technology, etc) so I don't think it's directly linked. It may be the case that stay at home mom's read more, it doesn't necessarily follow that they read more because they stay at home.

[JessicaW]

I agree with the stay at home mums have more time to blog. Both me and my husband contribute to our blog but I post more often than my husband and do alot more visits to other blogs than him. The reason is purely time, I work part time whreas my husband works full time in a very demanding job. We do have quite a few male bloggers on our list and I have seen a few around that specialise in sci-fi or fantasy to they are out there.

If our blog just belonged to my husband I explect it would very quickly become a sci-fi/non-fiction blog.

[moonsanity]

There are quite a few guy book bloggers in the Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror genre. Sci Fi Guy is VERY popular. I really like book blogs from men. I'd love to see a combined book blog with a man and a woman...team blogging like The Book Smugglers do on their blog. That would really be interesting. I've also heard from many women that they really like reviews from a man's viewpoint.

[Maria Hesh]

What an interesting post and discussion. I'd not noticed that I'd noticed the preponderance of women in the book-blogging world. I "drop in" on so many blogs and now that I think about it, the vast majority are by women. (I will say, though, that I think there are lots of men blogging about thrillers and crime/mysteries. I was on a site this morning that was by a guy, but that one MAY have been more geared toward business books. I don't really recall.

Here are a couple thoughts: as noted, women tend to read more fiction, and non-fiction books tends to end up in different categories.

I also think women, by and large, like to talk and discuss more than men -- and I'm not trying to be sexist in any way, shape or form! When I read a good book, I'm dying to talk about it with someone, and that tends to be another woman, mostly because I think more women will read the book that I like. (Upon rare occasions, I get my husband to read something I like -- those tend to be thrillers, such as Vince Flynn, not "general" fiction, for lack of a better word.)

Those are just a couple thoughts on a rainy Friday.

Hmmm, I wonder if more women than men are on Facebook?

[Rex Lee Reynolds]

I suppose the reason could be a number of things. Maybe women are more appreciative of literature than men, and read and blog more than men. I don’t really know. But being from an environment where women were not allowed to have a say in things, or weren’t supposed to and still are not supposed to, I am glad to see so many women taking an active part in this kind of thing.

[Enbrethiliel]

+JMJ+

Rex, your comment about women not really getting to have a say in things where you live reminded me of another thread in this forum. Someone asked, "Do you tell your friends and family you have a blog?"--and an overwhelming majority of respondents said no! Perhaps women who don't have much of a say in the real world find their voices in blogging.