Does Size Matter?
In regard to size, I’m specifically talking about length. Now, before you get too far down the wrong path, I’m talking about the length of a book.
When asked how long a book should be, a common mantra among writers is: “the book should be however long it takes to tell your story.” Well, that’s all fine and good from an artistic perspective. But from a commercial (or business) perspective, there are a lot of factors that must be considered – the main one being the cost of production of the printed books. The longer the book, the more it costs to produce and distribute.
But the cost of production for ebooks is minimal. With ebooks, we can get back to the artistic perspective of “however long it takes to tell your story.” The cost to produce a 500-page epic novel is not much more than the cost to produce a 15-page short story. Distribution is a couple of mouse clicks.
My Alec Stover mysteries are novellas that range from 24,000 to 36,000 words (approximately 120 to 180 pages). I chose this length so the books can be read within a couple of hours – one sitting for fast readers. With all of the distractions we face today, the constant barrage of information, and short attention spans, I feel like this length hits a sweet spot for many readers. The books can be read in a weekend at the beach, or on a long flight for business travel, or in a few hours by the fire on a cold winter’s night. For a price of less than $3 (free if you subscribe to kindle unlimited) I think these stories are a great value. I hope you agree.
