Galleycat has posted another cool infographic here. This shows different elements and how successful they are for different kinds of books. The primary points I located are:

–Women are 50% more likely to finish a book than men, meaning that women are also more likely to become loyal fans.

–Literature is more likely to become a top-grossing novel than other types, with sci-fi a strong second. This goes against everything authors are told in general chatter…literature and sci-fi are supposed to be tough sells. So, as always, write from your heart, not for the market!

–30% of readers will put down a book by page 50. So hone not only those first five pages but the opening segment (the first 50 or so pages).