We’ve all heard that “size doesn’t matter,” but I’m wondering if that holds true for book length. I grew up in an era when historical sagas reigned: R.F. Delderfeld, M.M. Kaye and other authors swept me away for 500, 700, even 900 pages at a time.
It’s hard to find those kinds of reads anymore. Agents and editors want 80-100,000 word submissions. I chalk it up to the busier pace of our lives. People have more media bombarding them for attention, so there’s less time to lose themselves in one fiction read. After all, movie audiences adored Gone With The Wind, but when was the last time you attended a five-hour movie?
Even my reading tastes have broadened to include the shorter category books (generally 50-70,000 words in length). I can often devour one of these reads in 2-3 hours. They’re like reader candy. Yum.
Part of my decision to bring my historical romance AMBERSLEY directly to readers via Amazon and Smashwords was driven by the fact that the book is 109,000 words long. The other part is that the book doesn’t neatly fit the mold of “romance.” The first half of the book covers a span of 13 years. It’s more of a saga in its narrative, but it builds the context for the romance that takes center stage in the second half of the book. The second half covers a period of about 6 months.
So, I’m curious to hear from our MM followers. Does a book’s length matter to you? Do you choose shorter books because you know you can fit them in your schedule? Do you prefer longer books where you can lose yourself for a few days in that fictional world? Do you not notice the length at all?
I’ll be giving away a digital copy of AMBERSLEY to one lucky (and randomly selected) commenter who posts by midnight Pacific Time tonight. I’ll post the winner’s name here on Wed. morning.
And, just so you’ll know what you’re getting, here’s a quick blurb about AMBERSLEY:
Traumatized by a blaze that killed her parents, young Johanna remembers nothing of her privileged past and remains ignorant of the dangers that surround her. She grows up among the servants, where she develops a sense of purpose that helps her survive the betrayal that unmasks her true identity. Once she is forced to take her proper place in Regency society as the highly sought heiress to the Ambersley fortune, she must defy the relatives who would make her a pawn in their struggle for power.
When Derek Vaughan inherits the dukedom. his dubious parentage makes it a sacrilege to accept. But touched by the ravaged estate and its destitute staff, he braves a society that once shunned him while he rebuilds Ambersley and guards it from his stepmother’s bankrupting clutches. He intends to grant the title to his half-brother when the boy comes of age, but Derek’s plans go awry from the moment the gardener’s apprentice—once his trusted young friend—is revealed to be not only an heiress of beauty and spirit, but the one woman who may finally capture his heart.
Thanks for letting me share this release. And a happy Independence Day next week to all our American readers!
This is interesting, because when I was younger, I was a mystery fan. I can remember reading all of the Agatha Christie books in the library, one at a time. Now, I see those and other books are thin. But at that time, that was okay. And she was a bestselling author for many years.
I think at that time, different lengths were considered okay. There wasn’t a sheeplike tendency to have everything fit within a narrow length. Whatever worked best for the book was what was put out, whether it was long or short.
I recently read a self-published paranormal romance that was about 60,000 words. When I opened it, I was surprised by its length, but it was completely satisfying. I never felt cheated. So I’m glad the pendulum is swinging the other way. It’s not the length, it’s the reader’s satisfaction.
A great story is a great story and its length does not matter. However, I do find that I gravitate towards longer books. If I have already chosen to read it, I am running on the assumption that it is a great book, going by the premise alone and because it is longer, I would like to think the story, characters are more developed. The characters will have more to face, their love story will not come as easily, there is more obstacles to overcome, thus with more to overcome, more to redeem it makes the story worthwhile.
Of course, there are shorter stories that I do like but the problem is if I do like them, the visit into their world is short-lived and not filling.
I live for a long book that takes days to read. I read 3000 a minute so even if I slow down, a category read is about an hour tops. I’m reading Land of the Painted Caves by Jean Auel right now. I have to slow down to enjoy the textured read and it is big-@ss long.
Don’t enter me to win, already got Ambersley.
Jill,
I *adore* Jean Auel. Let me know how Painted Caves is. I still need to buy it. I’ve read the whole rest of the series, and I’ve been waiting years for this book!
Congrats on releasing Ambersley, Amy!
There are times I can dive into a long novel and enjoy it, but these days, as hectic as my life is, I shy away from lenghty stories. Harry Potter was the exception for me.
If I start a book and then can’t get back to it for days, I often lose interest. If I can read half the book in one sitting, though, the characters and plot stay with me, so even if it’s a few days before I can get back to it to finish, I’m still interested.
I write short stories as well as full-length novels and I enjoy reading both. It just depends on my schedule and whether I can make time for a 100K word or bigger book.
Interesting subject and one I often ponder. Both my Ny books are over 100,000, around the same length as yours, and I’ve had people complain that they’re too long. Then on the other hand I’ve read reviews of novellas that are less than 20,000 and set at 99 cents and people say they’re too short. But again, this is one instance in which self publishing rules, we can write whatever length we want!
Interesting question. When I’m really busy, I lean toward shorter books b/c that way, I know I’ll have time to get the full read in. But when I *do* have time to really dive deep into a tale, I enjoy longer stories. So, both, please, for me.
Cynthia Eden`s last blog was …Mary Wine is in the House…and she has advanced copies of MY FAIR HIGHLANDER!
For me, the length doesn’t matter. It’s the story and characters that keep me reading. I don’t even notice the length. But with that said, some of those older, longer reads I used to love– I wouldn’t be able to finish these days. I find myself getting impatient with repetition and extraneous details. Don’t get me wrong, I still need a vividly painted scene, but two or three sentences is plenty for me, then I want to move on. Too much and I start skimming, or I’ll lose interest and put it down completely.
Congrats on Ambersley’s release. It sounds wonderful. I’d love to be entered in the drawing, except I don’t have an e-reader. If you are publishing it in print form too, though, then count me in.
Theresa`s last blog was …Six Sentence Sunday #sixsunday #amwriting
Theresa,
I’m also a fan of rich details (although, not as many as, say, Charles Dickens used to throw in!). Ambersley is not available in print *yet*, but I expect it to be available late summer or early fall. I’ll do another giveaway of the print version then. Thanks!
Thanks for the great feedback, ladies. I apologize for my absence. I’m currently at a national writing conference. Internet is a bit harder to come by and time even more so. But I’m thrilled to know that readers love books of various lengths–and especially that they love longer reads.
Our lucky commenter is Na. Congrats! I’ll contact you privately to confirm where to send a digital copy of Ambersley. Please be patient–I may not be able to reach you by email until I get home this weekend.
Hi Amy,
I’m another fast reader and I couldn’t care less about the length as long as the story is good! If it’s really good, short makes me sad because I don’t want it to end!
Ambersley is unique for all the reasons you mentioned. It’s also a great read.
Dale Mayer`s last blog was …I’m partying over at Cynthia Eden’s release party!
Hey Amy. Coming in late on this discussion …. because like you, my internet access is limited to whether I feel like taking a walk down the block to a Starbucks.
Anyway, length makes little difference to me. Like Na, I figure the longer the book, the richer the detail and the more in depth to the story.
Yay, I can’t wait to read Ambersley as soon as I get it. I know it’s going to be great.
Thanks Amy!