I take it you write shorter books? ![]()
I don’t necessarily have a problem with that, in fact I also prefer shorter books. The thing is, though, that if I’m gonna pay cold hard cash for a paperback (and especially a hardback), I’d rather get my money’s worth lol. And shorter books won’t necessarily be priced lower than average-sized books (although mammoth books are definitely going to be more expensive than your casual 200-page paperback). So if I’m gonna pay relatively the same for 140 vs 210 pages, I’d rather get the 210 ![]()
I’ve actually finished a 215-page short novel on a 5-hour train ride (admittedly with wide page margins
) so I guess the average-sized novel with average-sized formatting is around 250-350 pages. I’m honestly not sure if 150 pages justifies the cost of publishing as a solo book in physical form. Digital, sure. But from a cost effectiveness perspective…idk.
I’m still figuring the writing bit out but yes a believer in brevity ![]()
As it happens, some of the shorter books are more expensive than the standard paperback by a few pounds
but that’s because they tend to get published by small presses.
Ah, lol, see
I’m sure it’s also a matter of supply. I don’t work in publishing, but I imagine wholesale goes the same in all industries. The more you buy, the cheaper the material. So 10 books × 300 pages are probably going to be cheaper to make than 10 books × 150 pages. I don’t think that would be very different for bigger presses, but it’s definitely an added disadvantage for a smaller press.
It just leaves you no room to dither on like Charles Dickens.
True. But with Daddy Dickens specifically I think it’s different. The man invented serial novels and also… A Christmas Carol
Oh, not disagreeing. Its the emulation without the capacity. Me, when I do, it tends more towards Pratchett.–which is fine, but requires peiple to see your amusement, and that’s nowhere near universal.