19 thoughts on “So, what’s book length these days?”
Ducky McDuckface
Bit on the short side. 80 to 120 thousand words seems to be the average for fiction. Quick hack using Robert Harris’ Act Of Oblivion in hardback suggests about 360 words per page, 458 pages, so on the order of 160,000 words, a bit on the high side.
But he’s obviously a quite well-known author.
Bernie G.
Have 500k words on my latest and been told it’s a bit short.
jgh
There’s vague boundaries to novella, novelette and short story. You could fit in somewhere there.
Tim Worstall
Non-fiction….
Arthur the cat
A quick Google and averaging the answers suggests 50-80,000 words for non-fiction, so you’re in the right ballpark unless you’re trying for only partially read doorstop territory.
Grikath
“If it’s word count you’re worrying about, then there’s something wrong with the actual content.”
Marion Zimmer Bradley.
bloke in spain
Odd that the metric’s words not characters. German must produce some very heavy books.
Andrew C
Tim
Plump out the manuscript with sone Venn diagrams.
MC
70k words is fine for non-fiction, I’d say. If you have what you want covered, don’t try to stretch it.
Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Rose West of fantasy fiction….
CJ Nerd
Say what you want to say, then stop. I hate wading through Baldrick- style padding.
The Meissen Bison
Or needs plumping out?
Seriously? Put in a drawer and forget.
Tim Worstall
There are more chapters – stories – that can be added. Rather than plumping out each story….
Bloke in Wales
There are more chapters – stories – that can be added.
Save for volume 2 if the first volume is a best seller?
PJF
Shirley the subject matter should determine word extent.
Comprehensive Understanding of Wi-Fi Networks – several volumes
Positives of Carbon Tax – answers on a postcard, in crayon (redirected to fiction dept.)
Roué le Jour
I think it’s 70k for a Booker, OK non fiction, but still people don’t like paying full price for a slim volume. Look to see what your competition is running to.
jgh
You’ve made me ponder, and I had a quick check of a reference work I wrote. It comes to 26,000 words.
BraveFart
If you’re bored writing and think you’ve written too many words, take a break and rub one out.
Dr K.A. Rodgers
Depends on the content. Depends on the target audience.
Tiremola
Lord Byron wrote: –
‘Tis pleasure, sure, to see one’s name in print;
A book’s a book, although there’s nothing in ‘t.
Bit on the short side. 80 to 120 thousand words seems to be the average for fiction. Quick hack using Robert Harris’ Act Of Oblivion in hardback suggests about 360 words per page, 458 pages, so on the order of 160,000 words, a bit on the high side.
But he’s obviously a quite well-known author.
Have 500k words on my latest and been told it’s a bit short.
There’s vague boundaries to novella, novelette and short story. You could fit in somewhere there.
Non-fiction….
A quick Google and averaging the answers suggests 50-80,000 words for non-fiction, so you’re in the right ballpark unless you’re trying for only partially read doorstop territory.
“If it’s word count you’re worrying about, then there’s something wrong with the actual content.”
Marion Zimmer Bradley.
Odd that the metric’s words not characters. German must produce some very heavy books.
Tim
Plump out the manuscript with sone Venn diagrams.
70k words is fine for non-fiction, I’d say. If you have what you want covered, don’t try to stretch it.
Marion Zimmer Bradley
The Rose West of fantasy fiction….
Say what you want to say, then stop. I hate wading through Baldrick- style padding.
Or needs plumping out?
Seriously? Put in a drawer and forget.
There are more chapters – stories – that can be added. Rather than plumping out each story….
Save for volume 2 if the first volume is a best seller?
Shirley the subject matter should determine word extent.
Comprehensive Understanding of Wi-Fi Networks – several volumes
Positives of Carbon Tax – answers on a postcard, in crayon (redirected to fiction dept.)
I think it’s 70k for a Booker, OK non fiction, but still people don’t like paying full price for a slim volume. Look to see what your competition is running to.
You’ve made me ponder, and I had a quick check of a reference work I wrote. It comes to 26,000 words.
If you’re bored writing and think you’ve written too many words, take a break and rub one out.
Depends on the content. Depends on the target audience.
Lord Byron wrote: –
‘Tis pleasure, sure, to see one’s name in print;
A book’s a book, although there’s nothing in ‘t.