# What´s a good size for an e-book?



## Herman (May 3, 2011)

Well, of course in pages, number of words? not physically! 
As readers, do you prefer short novels or epic stories ?
*
Is there a size of content that you regard as "unfair" or too short?*

Quality matters, that's for sure, but how about the quantity?
If the book is good, can it be an equivalent of 500 paperback pages and still keep you reading on and on?
I am preparing my first e-books for release (drama/novel and fantasy novel) and I wonder if they are not getting too long for the average reader and should be split in two parts or so. 
I would say, it's the kind of book you will read on a summer vacation trip or before going to sleep.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I think it depends on the genre. I don't normally read fantasy but my favorite historical novels are usually 600+ pages. That doesn't mean I don't read and enjoy shorter historical novels as well (and it certainly doesn't mean a long one is automatically good) but it seems that books which really excel in this genre tend to be longer - I think because there's so much involved and so much historical detail that needs to be included.  

But I can't read books that long ALL the time or it'll just be too much. I need shorter, lighter reads to counter the long ones - for this, I usually look outside the historical genre for something more modern, something fun. I prefer these to be less than about 400-450 pages.

But it's also important to note that I choose which long, epic books I pick up carefully because they are a bigger investment. I'm not likely to read a 600+ page book from an unknown, debut author unless it has a number of really (genuine) positive reviews. Shorter books I'm more likely to grab from an unknown author because I know I can get through them quicker so it's less of a time investment.


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## jason10mm (Apr 7, 2009)

Size is irrelevant, it really depends on the story. I routinely crank through 800+ page sci-fi/fantasy epics (in series that are 5+ books long as well) so a hefty book hardly turns me off. What concerns me is whether or not the story is bloated with repititious scenes and windy descriptive scenes, or is it fast, lean and moving. To be the former you have to be REALLY good, the latter is much more forgiving, but of course the more plot you have, the greater the chance of a "jump the shark" moment or writing yourself into a corner.

So in short, your book should be exactly as long as it needs to be to tell the story you want to tell  If it is too long and I'm losing interest then I'll just stop reading, I'm not one of those guys who feels obligated to finish every book.

But if you are splitting it arbitrarily then I would say no, don't split it. But if there is a natural story arc resolution at the midway point then making it two volumes that you can sell a bit cheaper individually may boost sales and be preferable. If it is a matter of selling two parts at $3 each or one part at $5-6, I'd say an unknown author has a better chance at the $3 mark. But if you can sell the whole thing at $3, then just do that (or sell the first part for $1).


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## StephenLivingston (May 10, 2011)

I would say that an e-book can be whatever size it needs to be.  The length should be dictated by the story not the format.  Over condensed stories and over stretched stories are as bad as each other.  If you mention the length of the book in the product description then no-one need be unaware of the size of e-book they are getting.

Kindling - a collection of short stories I have recently published is 108 pages in length and contains twelve short stories.


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## jherrick (Apr 1, 2011)

I'd say the book's description and reviews are more important than size. That said, when someone browses for a an ebook (like with physical books), the first thing they will see is the title and cover art, so those are just as critical as the story itself.  In terms of length, when a filter is available, I tend to filter out the shorts and look for novel length, unless I've heard good things about a shorter book and look for it specifically.

Hope that input helps! Congrats on working on that book!


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

I feel that for a while a lot of novels were bloated because there was a demand for that and then the opposite happened. Novelists were told not to make it more than 120K words or bookstores wouldn't stock it. I know some very well-known authors who were told to slash the length of their novels.

By the way, I don't really agree that historical novels necessarily have to be extremely long. I don't like novels less than say 80K. I don't tend to mention the word length of my novels in my description because I don't think it means anything to the typical reader. Do most know how many words are in most novels? I suspect not and why should they? 

For that matter it is extremely difficult to calculate the actual number of words in a novel. The number Word gives you is not the actual number of words. The traditional publishing method of counting was to calculate how much paper a book would take. I don't see it as a helpful guideline for readers.

I understand people wanting to have some idea of what they're buying and since I buy novels, I agree, but I think it needs to be standardised so that everyone uses the same method. In fact, what Amazon should do is use a word calculation the way Smashwords does so everyone is comparing apples to apples. 

As far as a "right" length... it's the length that best tells the story being told.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

I routinely read books anywhere from 80k-180k words. As long as the story flows, isn't full of errors, and is GOOD.


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## Cheryl Bradshaw Author (Apr 13, 2011)

BTackitt said:


> I routinely read books anywhere from 80k-180k words. As long as the story flows, isn't full of errors, and is GOOD.


I agree. It used to be that depending on the genre, it needed to be a certain length, but not so much anymore. As long as the story conveys what it needs to and doesn't leave anything out, it's fine if it's shorter 

I just read a novel a couple days ago that was 80,000 words and by the end I felt it could have easily been cut by 10K and that by doing so, it would have made for a much stronger novel.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Quality, not quantity, is what matters.


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## beckyj20 (Jun 12, 2010)

When I was reading DTBs I would get so excited if the book I wanted to read was huge. If I like it, then it means that it will last longer. The reason why I think I dont like Nicholas Sparks books is because they are too short and he is unable to develop a deep plot.  I have noticed that about a lot of shorter books (200-300).


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

How long is a piece of string?   

I've read short books that I thought could have been expanded and been better.

I've also ready long books that really should have been much shorter.

The point is, the book needs to be exactly long enough to tell the story you have to tell. No longer.  No shorter.


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## Mike McIntyre (Jan 19, 2011)

mooshie78 said:


> Quality, not quantity, is what matters.


True that!

Check out the Duluth Public Library's list of short classics -- http://www.duluth.lib.mn.us/PopLib/Classics.html -- each book 250 pages or less, including The Great Gatsby (182), The Catcher in the Rye (214), and The Invisible Man (17.


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## apbschmitz (Apr 22, 2011)

I agree with everyone who says a book should be as long as it needs to be. But I'm a huge fan of novels/novellas that develop a single idea in 200 pages or less.


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## J.R.Mooneyham (Mar 14, 2011)

When I wrote up a guide for Kindle ebook creation, I included info from a lot of different sources regarding the proper length for various electronic works, such as ebooks:

"How lengthy does your manuscript have to be to qualify as a book in general? Or, what are the usual publishing editor's or reader's expectations in size/length? I've seen various sources offer up these word total ranges of acceptability:

(Keep in mind when viewing the word counts below that 75,000 words make about 300 pages, 100,000 words, 400)

+ Under 10,000 is a short story
+ 7,500 through 25,000 is a novelette
+ 24,000 should be a minimum for non-fiction works
+ 20,000 through 50,000 is a novella or short non-fiction book; or under 60,000 a novella; some think novellas are the optimum size for ebook novels today
+ 50,000 through 110,00, or 75,000 through 120,000 is a novel; some say 50,000 is the magic number separating a novella from a novel
+ Some think 60,000 through 80,000 is the current optimal ebook size
+ 110,000 plus is an epic (and likely requires being spread out over multiple volumes)
+ 120,000 and higher is excessive for novels from anyone but already well-known authors
+ Non-fiction works are usually shorter than fiction
+ Modern non-fiction is more visual than in the past
+ Modern ebook novels may not need to be as long as old-fashioned hard copy novels "

-- How to make your own Amazon Kindle ebook in just hours CHEAT SHEET
http://www.jmooneyham.com/cheat-sheet-how-to-make-your-own-amazon-kindle-ebook-in-hours.html


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## aaronpolson (Apr 4, 2010)

Ann in Arlington said:


> The point is, the book needs to be exactly long enough to tell the story you have to tell. No longer. No shorter.


Exactly. I like the freedom of e-books to be whatever they need to be without fighting for shelf space.


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## Paul Vitols (Feb 14, 2011)

My first thoughts are: A novel is supposed to be pleasure reading, so how much pleasure do you want? A little? A lot?

Another factor is genre. A genre sets a range of lengths, and the more closely your work conforms to the genre, the more you need to be in that length range. The genre sets up reader expectations, and length is part of that, even if it's not the biggest part.

I agree with those who say that the content should dictate the length. An elephant needs to be elephant-sized; no use trying to squish it down to the size of a squirrel. But because a greater length demands more of a reader's time and attention, you need to offer a corresponding benefit in terms of the depth and importance of your theme. It might well be more rewarding to read one long book than four--or more--short ones. The last time I checked _The Count of Monte Cristo_ on Amazon it had unanimous five-star ratings, and it's an XX(X)L novel.


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## SarahForester (May 11, 2011)

I just like it when there good flow to the story and information about the characters are subtle. This way I keep wanting to invest myself in the character and end up falling in love with them.


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## Lisa J. Yarde (Jul 15, 2010)

J.R.Mooneyham said:


> I've seen various sources offer up these word total ranges of acceptability:
> 
> (Keep in mind when viewing the word counts below that 75,000 words make about 300 pages, 100,000 words, 400)
> 
> ...


Thanks, this is incredibly helpful!


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## Tamara Rose Blodgett (Apr 1, 2011)

350-450 pages (100,000+ words) is a great length for what you're describing...however...if a book is terrific ( Diana Gabaldon saga-length series: Outlander, or Stephen King's stand alone, Under the Dome) It can be 1K pages and I'll be happier it's an ebook format!


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## NotActive (Jan 24, 2011)

content


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## CaitLondon (Oct 12, 2010)

I agree with Mooneyham's list. And that list is pretty much standard for legacy publishing, too. 

In marketing epublishing, tho, I'd say 400 ms pgs thereabouts is about right for a cap. Too long is not good. Too long might mean another book or a sequel.

Smashwords is a good place to basically grip what other indies are doing, length easily seen. Some short stories are around 7500-12k. If you're thinking legacy, 12k short story, 25k novella. In pprbk, 52k about the size of a category novel, 80-100k large book. Lots more freedom in epub, but still do not believe ereaders want overlong.

I think word length limit is important because of pacing, plotting.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

J.R.Mooneyham said:


> (Keep in mind when viewing the word counts below that 75,000 words make about 300 pages, 100,000 words, 400)
> 
> + Under 10,000 is a short story
> + 7,500 through 25,000 is a novelette
> ...


I'm not sure I agree with that - going by 75,000 = 300 pages and 100,000 = 400 pages, that would mean 110,000 = _less_ than 500 pages and I really, really don't consider that an "epic" at all. Below 500 pages is just a normal novel to me. I know the page count depends on text size and page size but since you defined an average page count based on word count, I went by that. Maybe it's just because I read a lot of longer books but I don't normally consider anything below about 600-650 pages to be "epic", whether they are an established author or not.


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## Sam Roskoe (May 12, 2011)

All my favorites are short.  The Postman Always Rings Twice, Double Indemnity, Fahrenheit 451, Slaughterhouse Five, I Am Legend all of the Charles Williams suspense novels.  For me it's the old pulp lengths of between 45 - 75,000 words that hit the sweet spot.  I find I get bored both as a writer and a reader if a book goes on for much longer than that.  Of course, there are always exceptions, but you give me a fast paced short book and I'm as happy as a man who found a ten dollar bill wrapped around a hundred dollar bill.


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## tim290280 (Jan 11, 2011)

I've read a 450 page novel in an afternoon (~100,000 words) and struggled through the first third of a 320 page novel over 3 days (read 35,000 words). It isn't the length but how well written the novel is. A good novel shouldn't feel long or like you aren't getting nearer to a conclusion.


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## docnoir (Jan 21, 2011)

I've got a collection of pulp novels from the 50s and 60s, most of which are between 115 and 140 pages. I don't even think we'd called that a novel anymore. But there they were, and they sold amazingly well.

They were also reasonably priced (or crazy cheap).

I think Kindle is pointing back towards that. People like short novels again.


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## mistyd107 (May 22, 2009)

tim290280 said:


> I've read a 450 page novel in an afternoon (~100,000 words) and struggled through the first third of a 320 page novel over 3 days (read 35,000 words). It isn't the length but how well written the novel is. A good novel shouldn't feel long or like you aren't getting nearer to a conclusion.


ITA for me its always quality over quantity. Having said that I do adore well written LONG books because it gives me more to savor


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## 41419 (Apr 4, 2011)

It really depends on the book.

A well written book starts in the right place, no sooner, no later, and ends in the right place. It's very tricky to do that right. Sometimes it takes courage to say "this is a 100 page story, conventions be damned."

These are all novellas: Animal Farm, Heart of Darkness, The Turn of The Screw, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Of Mice and Men, The War of the Worlds, or Breakfast at Tiffany's.

One thing you notice straight away about all those books is that they are quite old.

Publishing costs (and reader's buying habits) made it a tricky proposition to publish novellas.

That's gone now.

I hope we see a comeback for the novella. It is a wonderful thing.


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## Tris (Oct 30, 2008)

history_lover said:


> I'm not sure I agree with that - going by 75,000 = 300 pages and 100,000 = 400 pages, that would mean 110,000 = _less_ than 500 pages and I really, really don't consider that an "epic" at all. Below 500 pages is just a normal novel to me. I know the page count depends on text size and page size but since you defined an average page count based on word count, I went by that. Maybe it's just because I read a lot of longer books but I don't normally consider anything below about 600-650 pages to be "epic", whether they are an established author or not.


I am like you History_Lover. I read a lot of LONG novels and so anything around 500 is rather short and average. I never really thought of a 800 page book as an epic (as the word never seems to come to my mind), perhaps because I kept reading those really long books as a child. You could leave me alone with a few of them for hours on end...and I would be one happy camper.

Tris


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## tim290280 (Jan 11, 2011)

mistyd107 said:


> ITA for me its always quality over quantity. Having said that I do adore well written LONG books because it gives me more to savor


I agree. A medium to long book (80,000 to +120,000) has the ability to offer the reader so much more. I remember finishing one novella and thinking "but this just one part of the story".


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## Retired (May 6, 2011)

I feel the length of the book depends on the story. A short story needs to be a short book. An epic fantasy needs to be a long book.

If the story feels rushed or feels like an excerpt/prologue (in that the main story thread isn't tied up in a satisfying way), the book is too short regardless of how many pages/kb it has. If the story feels bloated, then the book is too long. That said, I have expectations based on the typical length of DTBs in various genres.


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## Mel Comley (Oct 13, 2010)

I agree I prefer to read books between 80,000-100,000 words, something I can sink my teeth into.


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## Stefanswit (May 9, 2011)

In my book, size doesn't count. It's all in the content and creativity. 

Having said that, I personally prefer my books to be over 100,000 words, or I get disappointed. A good experience needs to be long and enjoyable. 

But maybe I'll give the shorts a go.


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## crimescribe (Apr 27, 2011)

I've found that it doesn't really matter that much to me. Novels of the more conventional length are great, but there are many out there (though I won't name names) that feel as though they're padded and that the editor or agent nudged the author and insisted that they reach the 80,000 word length to make the book more commercial no matter the damage it did to the narrative. I've just a read a couple of novellas, like Stephen Leather's "the basement" for instance, that were just as good if not better as any regular novel I've bought. I think the e-reader has definitely changed things for the better in this regard. It's definitely a brave new world out there for readers if you have a Kindle.


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## ScottF (Mar 29, 2011)

Abraham Lincoln was often mocked by his detractors for his lanky height. When one asked how long a man's legs really _needed_ to be, he responded with dry wit: "Long enough to reach the ground."

The same is true for ebooks. They need to be long enough to get the job done, but the _exact length_ doesn't matter.

Of course, they should be priced accordingly. My second book is a complete story, told in only about 16,000 words - a novelette by print standards. So I priced it at .99 cents because any more seemed an unfair fee for the length of the content. But that's the freedom of ebooks over print - one author can write a shorter book meant that's a fast-paced read, another author can write a long book meant to be slowly savored, and both can be a success!


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