WHAT’S YOUR IDEAL NOVEL LENGTH?

It’s an interesting question and as I sit at my computer working on my next book I have a question for all my insightful readers and friends. How long do you like a novel to be? How many pages make your ideal book? If you’re anything like me I love an epic a novel. 

With my Daughters of the Wind series Voices in the Wind (book 2)had fewer pages than both Tails Carried High (book 1) and Winds of Time (book 3) but they were the stories I had to tell at the time. It appears my latest novel FRAMED will be longer than Consequences (published in 2015). Also book 2 in my As the Crow Flies series, Danika and Yatimah in a Race for Rain ended up being 100 pages more than Danika and Yatimah from Egypt to the Outback.

As an independent author I’m in control of every phase of book publishing. I admit that it’s taken years to find editors, designers and printers that I can rely on. Book publishing is a never ending journey a little like breeding horses. Breeding programs begin and then keep evolving, they don’t really end. It’s the same with writing you begin writing one book and before you know it you’re onto your seventh! It can be frustrating at times because none of us is perfect, mistakes happen in every phase from proof reading/editing, to printing and then shipping across the country. Once again, like breeding horses you simply do the best you can.

I’m now vitally aware of the cost of postage. I worry about my readers as it bumps up the price, which in turn has people procrastinate before clicking the ‘buy now’ button. In fact, I would probably feel the same way.
To say Australia Post makes me sigh is an understatement! Although postage issues could be a tie with my Internet connection and learning how to set up a website.

The thing is, I’m wondering if I should keep my novels to a certain number of pages. Keeping the number of pages to a limit would help with postage. But I’ve found my novel’s evolve in a certain way so it’s not always easy to do this and I don’t want my readers to feel they’ve somehow been cheated. After all, I have to tell the story that’s in my heart and my head.

So the next question is; does the price of the postage prevent you from buying a specific book you want?

These days any of us who shop online have become accustomed to adding postage. My reason for writing is to entertain, remind and take people away for a few hours into another world. I don’t have to be concerned about what a publisher wants or doesn’t want as I’m the publisher but I do care about my readers. If any of you have a moment I would love to hear your thoughts.

For anyone who is a first time author wanting to submit a manuscript to a publisher here is a small excerpt from a blog by Chuck Sambuchino from www.writersdigest.com He gives some helpful advice:

ADULT NOVELS: COMMERCIAL & LITERARY

Between 80,000 and 89,999 words is a good range you should be aiming for. This is a 100% safe range for literary, mainstream, women’s, romance, mystery, suspense, thriller and horror. Anything in this word count won’t scare off any agent anywhere.

Now, speaking broadly, you can have as few as 71,000 words and as many as 109,000 words. That is the total range. When it dips below 80K, it might be perceived as too short—not giving the reader enough. It seems as though going over 100K is all right, but not by much. I suggest stopping at 109K because just the mental hurdle to jump concerning 110K is just another thing you don’t want going against you. And, as agent Rachelle Gardner (Books & Such Literary) pointed out when discussing word count, over 110K is defined as “epic or saga.” Chances are your cozy mystery or literary novel is not an epic. Rachelle also mentions that passing 100K in word count means it’s a more expensive book to produce—hence agents’ and editors’ aversion to such lengths.

In short:
80,000 – 89,999: Totally fine
90,000 – 99,999: Generally safe
70,000 – 79,999: Might be too short; probably all right
100,000 – 109,999: Might be too long; probably all right
Below 70,000: Too short
110,000 or above Too long

Chick lit falls into this realm, but chick lit books tend to be a bit shorter and faster. 70-75K is not bad at all.