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What If? Another Look at the Top 100 Poll

calculator 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

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