Ink An Epic is seeking to better understand the preferences and behaviors of its target audience—middle grade readers aged 8-13—to create engaging graphic novels. The project aims to bridge the gap between classic literature and modern storytelling by making reading more visual and immersive. Your mission is to help us gain a clearer understanding of our target readers (kids aged 8–13), their reading habits, challenges, and competing formats for entertainment or learning.. We’re particularly interested in knowing how graphic novels fit into their world today—and how they might be made more engaging or appealing.

🛠️ Deliverables and Key Questions

The project will deliver a comprehensive report detailing the research findings on middle grade readers' preferences and behaviors. The deliverables will include:

• A detailed audience analysis report.
• Recommendations for future product designs based on research findings.

Feel free to approach these through primary (e.g. surveys, interviews) and/or secondary research (e.g. studies, reports, credible articles). You’re also welcome to propose additional questions if you find new avenues worth exploring. 

1. 📖 Reading Habits

• How often do kids aged 8–13 read for leisure?
• For those that read, what genres or formats do they prefer?
• For those that read, why do they read? (e.g. for leisure, or because it's school work or because parents are forcing them). 
• For those that don’t read, do they care that they aren’t reading?

1. ⚖️ Age Group Distribution

• Do habits vary significantly by age (e.g., 8 vs. 13)? Are reading needs or preferences consistent across the 8–13 age range?
• Are there certain age bands that struggle more with reading or need alternative approaches?

1. 🧠 Learning & Entertainment Alternatives

• How do kids in this age group prefer to learn or entertain themselves? Aka What is a suitable alternative to reading a book?
• What formats do they gravitate towards (e.g. YouTube, games, audiobooks, podcasts)?

1. 📱 Digital Device Usage

• How prominent are smartphones, tablets, or other digital devices in their daily routines?
• What other digital content are we competing with?

1. 😩 Pain Points in Reading

• What do kids find difficult or boring about reading?
• Are there environmental or emotional barriers (e.g., distractions, lack of motivation)?

1. 🎨 Graphic Novel Familiarity

• Are they already reading graphic novels? How often? 
• What titles are popular or well-loved?
• What makes reading a graphic novel different from reading a book?

1. ⭐ What Makes a Graphic Novel Great

• What elements (visual style, humor, story, length, interactivity) make a graphic novel appealing to kids?
• What would make them pick it up voluntarily?

1. 📚 Book Discovery

• How often do they look for new books to read?
• Do they visit libraries, use school libraries, or rely on parents/teachers for suggestions?

1. 👨‍👩‍👧 Parental Preferences

• What forms of digital or screen-based learning/entertainment do parents consider acceptable?
• Do parents view graphic novels as educational or entertainment?

🛠️ What We’d Like From You

We’re open to how you’d like to approach this, but we would appreciate:

• A discussion to understand your approach. While we are happy or AI to be used in the process, the entire research should not be conducted on AI. 
• Please state your sources as often as you can. If possible, direct quotes or stats from any primary or secondary research
• Final output: 
• Your finding across the key questions above so we can really understand the user behavior of this target audience

Your recommendations on which age range within 8–13 we might want to start with and how we can make a graphic novel adaptation interesting for readers of this age group