# What's your preferred novel length?



## Danielleqlee (Jun 21, 2010)

When I go into the book store, I tend to shy away from fictions that are as thick as a phone book. I like the 300-400 range. How about you?


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## Groggy1 (Jun 21, 2010)

must be better than 250 pages for dtb.


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## Margaret (Jan 1, 2010)

I like to read long novels, because when I am reading a book that I like, I am always sorry to see it end.


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## CaraMarsi27 (Aug 7, 2010)

I'd say in the 200-300 page range. I sometimes like to read the shorter books, about 50,000 words, that run about 185-200 pages. I have about 200 books in my TBR pile and whenever I finish one I feel a sense of accomplishment. If I can knock out a few shorter books to one longer book, I feel good.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

I don't have any real preference, it depends on the book.

Mike


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## Rhiathame (Mar 12, 2009)

I rarely pick up DTBs any more but I preferred them in the 350-400 page range. With eBooks it is more difficult to judge but recently I have been starting to pay more attention because I can end up paying a premium for a book that is only the equivalent of 250 pages which ends up annoying me. I like a book that has meat to it but is not padding the page count just for the sake of doing so.


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## Darcia (Jul 16, 2010)

I have no preference when buying books. For me, the length has to fit the story. It shouldn't be overly wordy just to make it to 100,000 words (for a publishing requirement, etc.) or so short that I'm left feeling like I left the movie halfway through.


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## Danielleqlee (Jun 21, 2010)

I think what turns me off of extra long books is that I find the author beefs them up with boring bits and unimportant information simply to fatten up the book. I love a fast-paced book, leaves you breathless, no lulls.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

I prefer longer. Usually anything shorter than about 70,000 words leaves me feeling something - usually characters - didn't get developed well. However, it takes a lot of story to support really long books (say, over 125,000 words) without things starting to drag.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I enjoy books of all lengths but it depends what genre. Cozy mysteries and modern chick lit (Bridget Jones style) should not be more than 400 pages in my opinion (more ideally around 300 pages). Most historical fiction I prefer to be around 500 pages, if not more - the lives of some historical figures are just too epic to fit into less than that without it feeling rushed and lacking depth (unless their life is split up into a series, in which case shorter books are okay). I've read several 800+ paged historical fictions. Historical bios and non-fiction on the other hand can start to drag a bit if they're more than about 600 pages - I guess because the writing style can be a bit dry compared to a historical fiction. Lengthy thrillers and serious mysteries are only okay if they're well written, otherwise they shouldn't be more than 500 pages.


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## Neekeebee (Jan 10, 2009)

Depends on how much I'm enjoying the book!

N


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## purplepen79 (May 6, 2010)

Margaret said:


> I like to read long novels, because when I am reading a book that I like, I am always sorry to see it end.


Couldn't have stated it better myself. I'm a character-driven reader, and if I'm really enjoying getting to know a particular character or set of characters, I don't want the story to end.


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## iwchris (Aug 1, 2010)

I really like around 250 -350 pages, but sometimes if I'm really enjoying a book, I hate getting to the end.

Chris


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

iwchris said:


> I really like around 250 -350 pages, but sometimes if I'm really enjoying a book, I hate getting to the end.
> 
> Chris


That's one of the reasons I love to read series.


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## Pawz4me (Feb 14, 2009)

In general, the longer the better.  Assuming it's a good story, of course.  If I'm considering two books and can only buy one, I'll almost always buy the longer one.


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## Carolyn J. Rose Mystery Writer (Aug 10, 2010)

300-400 pages except if it's a really meaty book by an author I've read before.


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## Basilius (Feb 20, 2010)

Of the 20 novels I've read so far this year, I've averaged just over 6000 locations each. That's around 350 pages, I believe. There's a few writers I like who can't write anything short (Neal Stephenson, George R. R. Martin, Winston Churchill...), but I do prefer things to be under 400 pages.

That said, I'm about to start reading _The Passage_, so it's not that I won't read long books.


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## bvlarson (May 16, 2010)

I like something in the 60k words to 90k words range, which is book-average for most genres. I see thick books as a risk, as often it means there are several character groups, most of which I won't give a hoot about by the end of the book. I hate the feeling of plodding through a monster just so that I can see what happens to one or two people by the end.

As an aside, books were MUCH thinner up until around 1980. At that point, the pubs wanted to raise prices, so they demanded authors fatten books to give the consumer a reason why the prices were rising. Up until then, the 60k or so book ruled. Now, most books are 90k+
In many, many cases the book would be superior if it stayed focused and shorter. 

Readers could just read more of them for a lower price to get your reading fix. The old days might return as it is harder to judge relative "thickness" at the point of purchase now. You download the sample, and you are looking for quality not quantity. I would predict that lower prices and slightly thinner, sharper stories will result over time.
-BVL


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## J.R. Chase (Jun 22, 2010)

I prefer them on the shorter side, many longer novels don't seem to add much and could be shorter in my view.


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## Disappointed (Jul 28, 2010)

BV Larson - I see you put your word count and equivalent page count in your descriptions. Is that common? There's really no way to tell the length without it being in the description, is there?


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## D. Nathan Hilliard (Jun 5, 2010)

Every book has a length that's right for it. Sadly, it seems to me that lately some big name authors are taking small books and stretching them out into big books. I prefer to let the story determine the length of the book. That's one sure way to improve the book.


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## Gordon Ryan (Aug 20, 2010)

Most of this thread has been written from the POV of the reader, and not from the author.  I actually like writing my 100,000 word novels.  They give me time to develop a story, or character.  And from another perspective, with Kindle, it doesn't matter how thick the book is going to be.  There is no "wrist exhaustion" since they all weigh the same.

I am put in mind of a quote from some historical author.  When writing to a friend he supposedly said, "I am sorry that this letter is so long.  I didn't have time to write a shorter one."  Excellent lesson.

Cheers,


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## L.J. Sellers novelist (Feb 28, 2010)

82,577 words is ideal.


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## Selcien (Oct 31, 2008)

I really have no idea.  What I do know is that I have a natural inclination to judge the value of a book by how many pages it has, and feel that more pages is worth more money. This causes a conflict. I mean, I have six Terry Pratchett books, they're all short (hovering around the 200 page mark, according to my Sony Touch) so I feel ripped off because of that, yet I feel that they're worth more than I paid because of how much I like them.

So my answer is going to be... Long enough but neither too long, nor too short.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I think I slightly lean toward the shorter side, but mostly I just want it to be the "right" length: long enough to tell the story effectively, but not overly long due to lack of focus or rambling, overly wordy writing (e.g.: like one of my posts here). I've enjoyed many on the shorter side (most of Zelazny's are on the short side, yet he can pack a lot into a few well chosen words), but I have also greatly enjoyed any number of longer works, too.

So, my final answer is: yes.


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2010)

Well if I am reading fantasy, or an epic saga I want it all, 800-900 pages, even more.  In other worldy stories you cant just say, "Hey she was driving in a new blue Mustang GT,"  Her ride might be a sparkling blue scaled dragon, with wide leathery wings and long sinuous tail. A dragon that seemed to swim through the sky with reptillion grace....  (you get the point)  vivid descriptions eat up word count.  Fantasy has places we have never seen before, places that don't exist, events that carry our minds away to the fantastic.  "Lonesome Dove" was a long one, but I actually cried when Gus lost his legs.  It had carried me away. I never cried reading a Michael Conelly book, or James Patterson. (Though I've cried after I bought a James Patterson book before   )  

I like quick crisp crime drama, and action adventure.  Between 400-500 pages is good. Maybe even 300 if its an exciting read, but for epic fantasy it has to be huge.
Just my humble opinon....   M.R.


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2010)

bvlarson said:


> I like something in the 60k words to 90k words range, which is book-average for most genres. I see thick books as a risk, as often it means there are several character groups, most of which I won't give a hoot about by the end of the book. I hate the feeling of plodding through a monster just so that I can see what happens to one or two people by the end.
> 
> As an aside, books were MUCH thinner up until around 1980. At that point, the pubs wanted to raise prices, so they demanded authors fatten books to give the consumer a reason why the prices were rising. Up until then, the 60k or so book ruled. Now, most books are 90k+
> In many, many cases the book would be superior if it stayed focused and shorter.
> ...


After reading what I quoted of you, and knowing that you gave my 235k word book "The Sword and the Dragon" 4 stars I feel honored Mr. Larson. You have have no idea how much so. Your Haven series is fantastic. And "Mech", well "Mech" stands alone as one of the best ever. I'm cheesing from ear to ear.


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## Valmore Daniels (Jul 12, 2010)

Anything between the 60k and 120k range is my usual.  Multi-tome epics in the million word range I tend to shy away from.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

Back when I bought DTBs I always went for the thicker books - the longer the better. That's not to say I never read shorter books, just that I preferred the others. With Kindle books, it's harder to be aware of the size, but I do always glance at the details where it tells you how many pages the DTB version has. Telling me how many words it has, doesn't mean anything, I need to know DTB pages or Kindle locations to get any real sense of length.


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## pdallen (Aug 3, 2010)

Content is more of a concern for me than length. No matter the size, I'll read a book if the content grabs me.


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2010)

*This note is For readers*- A paperback book page averages just over 300 words per page, so 100,000words divided by 300 = roughly 330 pages.

So a 650+ page book is about 200,000 words. I hope that helps with your length figuring. This is an average that is easily manipulated by shrinking or enlarging the text size and the font of the print. It is not a 'written in stone' conversion method, but is generally accurate within a few dozen pages.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

I don't know from pages or words. . . . . . .


But the book I'm reading now has 10,562 locations. . . . . . . .


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## Alice Y. Yeh (Jul 14, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> I don't know from pages or words. . . . . . .
> 
> But the book I'm reading now has 10,562 locations. . . . . . . .


Spoken like a consummate Kindle user.

Honestly, it isn't the number of words, but rather how they're used. If it tells a good story / makes a good point, does it really matter that it's 60,000 words instead of 200,000? (Well, besides the ending of something that you enjoy. Anyway....)


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## Guest (Sep 3, 2010)

Could someone figure out the average number of words per location?  I use Kindle for PC now, as a family member has hi-jacked my Kindle.....


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## Guest (Sep 4, 2010)

M.R. Mathias said:


> Could someone figure out the average number of words per location? I use Kindle for PC now, as a family member has hi-jacked my Kindle.....


Never mind the great Ed Patterson and Betsy have posted the formula in another forum. Carry on


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I don't really have one.  Just like them long enough to tell the story well, develop characters and provide sufficient detail, but not be long because there's too much extraneous details and the book dragging in places.


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## EllenR (Mar 31, 2009)

I also prefer long books or series that I can "live" in for a while but I don't really have a set length that will stop me from buying anything I want to read.


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## luvmy4brats (Nov 9, 2008)

I don't really pay attention to length anymore. As long as it's a good story that holds my attention, that's all that matters. The fantastic thing about the Kindle is that you don't really see the size of the book. For awhile I was keeping track of my total locations read and trying to convert them to an equivalent pages read, but I just gave it up and now just keep track of which books I read. Some are really long, some are short.


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

I guess the one thing that I try to keep an eye out for (but don't really most of the time) is paying top price ($9.99, or even higher) and then finding out it's barely longer than a novella. If I'm going to pay that kind of money for an e-book novel, it better give me more entertainment time than that.


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## Debra Purdy Kong (Apr 1, 2009)

Danielleqlee said:


> When I go into the book store, I tend to shy away from fictions that are as thick as a phone book. I like the 300-400 range. How about you?


I'm with you there. It's my favorite range, but if I'm reading Diana Gabaldon, I have to make an exception!

Debra


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## D.A. Boulter (Jun 11, 2010)

I'm with the group who says: As long as the story needs to be.  I've written 6 novels and several novellas -- some of which will never be published, 'cause I wouldn't inflict them on anyone.  I once decided to up one of my novellas into a novel in order to have a chance at getting it published but soon gave up on it.  It was the length it was because that was what it took to tell the story.

If the book is poorly written or has something about it which grates, even 10,000 words is too many.  If the author writes well and I'm drawn into the book, I don't care how long it becomes.


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## BookLover (Mar 20, 2009)

I tend to favor the "The longer the better" mentality. Even as a child I always went for the thicker books!


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## John Brinling (Jul 25, 2010)

I think 300 pages is the cutoff for me.  Over 500 pages I think is too long.


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## Nick Steckel (Sep 2, 2010)

It honestly doesn't matter to me how long the book is. I've read things ranging from Heart of Darkness (80 pages) to The Count of Monte Cristo (1300 pages) and everything in between. I tend to think that if a book is good, it doesn't matter how long it is.


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## FrankZubek (Aug 31, 2010)

I prefer around 300 pages. Anything beyond that and (it seems to me) the book risks getting bloated. And yes, it does depend on the genre. But I find that there are few writers who can pull it off (going past 350 pages)
Dan Simmons' The Terror and Drood were great books that ran past 500 pages, but they were great books!

Sometimes I think there may be a handful of editors who know a book could use a trim and yet if they leave the extra baggage in there it will justify the 27.99 pricetag.

In my opinion, leave the story there and take the excess out. If there's a book that was 560 pages and could have been cut down to say, 324 pages....there is the risk it would need to sell for 23.99 instead of 27.99 and yet, if it reads better at a shorter length and there is good word of mouth....one would tend to sell MORE of the same story if it had been trimmed.

But that's just me. And yet, I continue to pick up a book where i start flipping pages at the half way point because the author rambles on a little too much instead of wrapping up lose threads and ending the book.


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## dimples (Jul 28, 2010)

I love myself some loooooooong books. I do read a lot of shorter ones too, but (as long as the story is good!) I prefer the kind of book that I won't be able to finish in a day  
Then again, in the end the only thing that really matters is that I find a story that I enjoy...


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## MLPMom (Nov 27, 2009)

It seems on average most novels I buy are between 300-500 pages long, which is about what I like. Anything under 300 sometimes seems too short and sometimes over 500 seems too long, although I have read quite a few 800 page books that were fantastic. 

I think in part it depends on the book and if it is part of a series, stand alone and the genre. I know for all the HP books I would have loved (yes loved) for them to be longer. I was always sad to see each one end and so eager for the next to come out.

some like the Outlander series, I think could be way shorter (and maybe should have even ended after the first three).


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## JoshLudeker (Sep 6, 2010)

I love to see the array of answers here. By my calculation, it seems of those who commented lean towards a shorter novel. Honestly, it's up to the author decide that and - like most have pointed out - they must use the correct amount of words to fulfill the story. 

Having said that, I enjoy reading longer novels. I love being submersed into an alternate, fake universe and fall in love with fictional characters. After days or weeks of never seeing real daylight, it's nice to pick up a shorter novel as a desert.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

For those who like short books, I just found this: http://www.lazylibrary.com/


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## June Shaw (Sep 1, 2010)

Sometimes it depends, but since my TBR pile is so large, I often prefer a shorter novel. Often those are in a series anyway, so that works well. I can get on to the next one.


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## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

It really depends on time constraints, so I like to mix it up. During some periods, things at home are so crazy with teenagers and their activities, that a short book fits the bill perfectly.  Something I can read while waiting in the car to pick them up or at the doctor's office.  When I don't have deadlines and the schedule's more open, I can sink into a longer book for awhile.


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## Cliff Ball (Apr 10, 2010)

I generally prefer reading under 400 pages. Occasionally, I'll read something over 400, but not often. I think the longest fiction novel I have ever read was MR Mathias' The Sword and The Dragon, and it stayed interesting over the whole length of the novel, which helped a lot. I'd like to get into the full version of The Lord of the Rings, but, I don't know.


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## AnnetteL (Jul 14, 2010)

The majority of what I read falls in the 250-350 page range, but I don't mind shorter or longer books at all if that's what's needed to tell the story well. (LOVED the unabridged _Count of Monte Cristo_, for example--that's somewhere around 1K pages.)

Really depends on the genre and target audience, and the expectations in those. An epic fantasy will be longer than a cozy mystery, and the majority of YA isn't going to be thick tomes, either. But I'm happy to read a long Dickens novel on occasion!


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