Length, and reader expectations

alexp336 · Sep 8, 2014

No, not that sort of length. Honestly, such filthy imaginations

I know the "how long should my story be?" topic has been discussed many times, but I had a tangential question of sorts.

Basically, the novel I wrote that will probably be published first is about 80k words or so. Since finishing it, I've written a couple of other things, more in the region of 20-30k; I could probably pad them out some, but the storylines don't really need it.

My concern is, if someone read the first story, are they then likely to be disappointed if subsequent ones aren't of similar length. They're unconnected thematically, and of course product listings invariable show how many pages there are, but I've a suspicion that many people don't actually go on that but instead just base expectations on past experience.

Alex

KimJo · Sep 8, 2014

I shouldn't think they would be disappointed. I've certainly never seen that personally, and I've had stand-alone ebooks published that range from only 5000 words all the way up to about 87,000.

If the books were *related*, i.e. part of a series, you would probably want to keep them all comparable lengths. But if there's no connection between the books other than the fact that you wrote them, it wouldn't be an issue.

CharleeBeck · Sep 8, 2014

I don't think so, as long as they are priced accordingly and comparable in content.

Personally, my format is 10k words split into 3 acts. Each act has a hook, build-up, and smutty payoff (1 words per section usually, with the "severity" of the content increasing with each act.) It lets you tell a story without putting too long between the reader and the content that they are actually reading for.

Elly_Green · Sep 8, 2014

Shouldn't be an issue. I publish works ranging from 2,000 words to 20,000 words and though they are related by theme, that's it. No one's complained so far. I price accordingly - less for fewer words.

Kimber · Sep 8, 2014

CharleeBeck said:
I don't think so, as long as they are priced accordingly and comparable in content.

This.

Ann_Mayburn · Sep 9, 2014

Depends on how established you are with your readers. I usually write long(110k plus) stories and I've noticed my readers get bitchy when I do shorts instead of epics. But- I think that's because I've established myself more as a long novel writer than a short story writer. If you're just starting out your reader base won't have the same expectations so you should be fine as long as you.

And this:

I don't think so, as long as they are priced accordingly and comparable in content.

KimJo · Sep 9, 2014

Alex, for clarification for those who will respond here: Are you talking about projects you're *self* publishing, or projects that a publishing house is publishing?

If they're through a publisher, you obviously have no control over pricing, since publishers set the prices for the books they publish.

malamute · Sep 9, 2014

KimJo said:
I shouldn't think they would be disappointed. I've certainly never seen that personally, and I've had stand-alone ebooks published that range from only 5000 words all the way up to about 87,000.

If the books were *related*, i.e. part of a series, you would probably want to keep them all comparable lengths. But if there's no connection between the books other than the fact that you wrote them, it wouldn't be an issue.

Yep totally agree, never written a short story all mine are between the 60k -88k range but understand where Kimjo is coming from, makes perfect sense.

alexp336 · Sep 9, 2014

Thanks for the advice, everyone. KimJo, yes, I'm thinking about self-publishing - or, to be exact, the possibility of self-publishing a couple of shorter pieces in the aftermath of a novel placed with a publisher.

My thinking is that, if people liked one, they might go hunting for other things I'd written perhaps, and I'd have greater control over timing than if I tried to do it all through publishers (assuming I could even find someone to place the shorter pieces with).

A.

KimJo · Sep 10, 2014

Ah, okay. That makes sense.

Honestly, if you're self-publishing follow-ups to something done by a publisher, I would see the shorter length as an advantage, particularly if you price them lower and/or offer them free either for a brief time or permanently. Readers who may not be familiar with you and might be reluctant to shell out the publisher's price for a novel by an author they don't know, might be more willing to pay $2.99--or take a free download--for a short story or novella, which would then give them a taste of your writing and might lead to sales of your publisher book if they like your work.

alexp336 · Sep 10, 2014

That's a really good point, KimJo, I hadn't thought about it from that perspective. Yes, a $2.99 shorter piece would make a lot of sense in that context; some of my stuff is already available online free, so I guess then I'd be spanning the gamut of options for the more cautious reader!

A.

imjustj · Sep 15, 2014

You could also combine two or more shorter pieces and price it comparable to a novel.

Atria (and other publishers) do a free book that offers just a bit of about 10 different stories. That would be a lot of work for a self-publisher, but the pay-off might be worth it to allow prospective readers to sample your wares.

BTW, I think the conclusion of this thread is that size does matter. ;-)

alexp336 · Sep 15, 2014

imjustj said:
You could also combine two or more shorter pieces and price it comparable to a novel.

Atria (and other publishers) do a free book that offers just a bit of about 10 different stories. That would be a lot of work for a self-publisher, but the pay-off might be worth it to allow prospective readers to sample your wares.

BTW, I think the conclusion of this thread is that size does matter. ;-)

Interesting... I actually put a lot of free stuff - all relatively short - on my tumblr, but I suppose I could wrap a selection up as a free download.

I'd also argue that it's not so much the size as what you do with it that counts

A.

JulesJones · Sep 16, 2014

One reason to do a small collection of your free shorts from tumbler is to put them into ebook formats and on sites where non-tumblr users can readily access them. (You could also put them up individually, but that's more work on covers.

I've put a couple of shorts from my website onto Smashwords and Amazon for that reason.

Length, and reader expectations

alexp336

KimJo

Outside the box, with the werewolves

CharleeBeck

Elly_Green

Daydreamer or Living Nightmare

Kimber

Kimber Vale

Ann_Mayburn

Smutty McTitters

KimJo

Outside the box, with the werewolves

malamute

alexp336

KimJo

Outside the box, with the werewolves

alexp336

imjustj

alexp336

JulesJones