Does Size Really Matter?
Is bigger better? It’s an age old question. I of course am referring to the size of your book. So far all of my books have been on the shorter side; my biggest Loving Dragon is just under 25,000 words. My shortest, August’s Heat is just over 8,000. As a reader I tend to enjoy books on the shorter side. I think because I feel I can read more stories and experience more authors that way. Kind of like a buffet dinner (yeah with me it always goes back to food) I can just sample more that way.
Of course there are always those books that we never want to end, that can never be long enough. I’ve closed those books and cried because I was done. But those books for me are rare, kind of like Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner, just come around once or twice a year. I hate reading a book that should have ended chapters ago, yet the author dragged it out way past it’s time just to get a higher word count.
And that brings me too another question. Does a bigger word count equal a bigger price tag? Certainly to a point it should, more work went into it. So I know I am willing to pay more for a bigger book. I am also willing to pay more for a book verses an e-book.
I guess it’s not really the size, but how that size is used. If it’s a good book, no matter the word count it will be enjoyed. As for the size of the price tag, that is going to vary by publisher, author name, and yes, book size all play a part in the price. But in the end the reader wins, there are all sizes of stories and all prices and even tons of good “free” e-books. It’s a smorgasbord that can be enjoyed by all. Go read something!
P.S. There will not be a post from me next week. I have out of town guest coming in and a huge family reunion, followed by a weeks’ vacation. I hope to return with lots of inspiration! Thank you J T.
