What If? Another Look at the Top 100 Poll
Since we posted the results of the 2013 Top 100 Poll readers have had many suggestions for alternative ways the results might be tabulated. We decided it might be fun to look at some of these alternatives. We discovered that with each of these different methods, the original results – calculated in the usual way of fully weighting however many titles a reader lists – are pretty robust.
We looked at some alternative methods of calculating the results based on reader comments: (1) only assigning a weight to the first 50 titles on a ballot, with anything between 51-100 assigned a weight of one; (2) only counting and assigning a weight to the first 50 titles on a ballot; and (3) only counting and assigning a weight to the first 25 titles on a ballot.
For simplicity (and to avoid spending weeks on this task) we’ve only listed the top 10 titles that emerge under each method, but the remainder of each list is remarkably similar. Basically all that changes in the top ten is a switch between Outlander and The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie under two of the alternatives. Other than that, the top ten remain as in the original method (in parentheses after the title).
Alternative 1: Only top 50 titles are given a weight with the next 50 given equal weight (1pt)
1. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase (1)
2. Devil in Winter by Lisa Keypas (2)
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (3)
4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (5)
5. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley (4)
6. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale (6)
7. Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh (7)
8. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas (8)
9. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (9)
10. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn (10)
Alternative #2: Only count 50 titles but assign weight
1. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase (1)
2. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (2)
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (3)
4. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (5)
5. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley (4)
6. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale (6)
7. Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh (7)
8. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas (8)
9. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (9)
10. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn (10)
Alternative #3: Only allow 25 titles but assign weight
1. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase (1)
2. Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (2)
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (3)
4. The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley (4)
5. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (5)
6. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale (6)
7. Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh (7)
8. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas (8)
9. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn (9)
10. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn (10)
Finally, instead of looking at the top 100 titles we decided to look at the authors of those titles. Admittedly the results are not the same as if we asked readers to vote for their top 10 (or top 20 or top 30) romance authors, but it does give a sense of not only the authors with the most popular titles, but also authors with such an extensive backlist that any one title may not break into the top 100 or even the top 200.
We aggregated all of the points received for each romance title to the author level which leads to a combined weighting for authors. A total of 1,413 authors were listed on at least one ballot for one of their romances, and many were listed on multiple ballots for multiple titles. For example, readers voted for 96 different titles by Nora Roberts (not including her J.D. Robb titles), 76 titles by Mary Balogh, 44 by Linda Howard, 43 by Jayne Ann Krentz (not including her Amanda Quick or Jayne Castle titles), and 38 by Georgette Heyer.
The top 100 authors receiving the most points in this way are listed below.
1. Lisa Kleypas
2. Mary Balogh
3. Julia Quinn
4. Susan Elizabeth Phillips
5. Linda Howard
6. Nora Roberts
7. Loretta Chase
8. Georgette Heyer
9. Julie Garwood
10. Judith McNaught
11. Elizabeth Hoyt
12. Sherry Thomas
13. Laura Kinsale
14. Jane Austen
15. Julie Ann Long
16. Jennifer Crusie
17. Joanna Bourne
18. Mary Jo Putney
19. Eloisa James
20. Diana Gabaldon
21. Nalini Singh
22. Carla Kelly
23. Courtney Milan
24. Suzanne Brockmann
25. Jennifer Ashley
26. Tessa Dare
27. Lavryle Spencer
28. Stephanie Laurens
29. Meredith Duran
30. Amanda Quick
31. J.R. Ward
32. Madeline Hunter
33. Rachel Gibson
34. Connie Brockway
35. J.D. Robb
36. Kristan Higgins
37. Kresley Cole
38. Julie James
39. Liz Carlyle
40. Anne Stuart
41. Jude Deveraux
42. Judith Ivory
43. Jo Beverley
44. Jill Shalvis
45. Laura Lee Guhrke
46. Jayne Ann Krentz
47. Kristen Ashley
48. Johanna Lindsey
49. Grace Burrowes
50. Karen Marie Moning
51. Sabrina Jeffries
52. Sarah MacLean
53. Kathleen Woodiwiss
54. Lorraine Heath
55. Sherrilyn Kenyon
56. Suzanne Enoch
57. Sandra Brown
58. Patricia Gaffney
59. Pamela Clare
60. Teresa Medeiros
61. Meljean Brook
62. Karen Robards
63. Cecilia Grant
64. Jo Goodman
65. Robyn Carr
66. Charlotte Bronte
67. Galen Foley
68. Ellen O’Connell
69. Ilona Andrews
70. Elizabeth Lowell
71. Maya Banks
72. Anne Gracie
73. Susanna Kearsley
74. Sarah Mayberry
75. Thea Harrison
76. Catherine Anderson
77. Pamela Morsi
78. Jeaniene Frost
79. Penelope Williamson
80. Maggie Osborne
81. Lorelei James
82. Celeste Bradley
83. Brenda Jackson
84. Lauren Willig
85. Christine Feehan
86. Marsha Canham
87. Deborah Smith
88. Kate Noble
89. Lora Leigh
90. Jane Porter
91. Elizabeth Boyle
92. Susan Anderson
93. Ruthie Knox
94. Lori Foster
95. Karen Ranney
96. Shannon McKenna
97. Susan Wiggs
98. Sylvia Day
99. Barbara Metzger
100. Eva Ibbotson
We hope this gives you some additional information about the recent Top 100 poll. Look for The Best of the Rest (titles in places 101-200) on Friday, November 22.
Cindy, LeeB, and LinnieGayl