This is a debate I hear quite a bit. Most of which occurs in my own head but let’s pretend it also relates to the wide world of book trends. Are shorter novels the way of the future? Is it a cheat for modern day writers to get their books out there faster and with more frequency? Or does the book buying public want shorter works with their attention so divided in a media enriched world?

Check out Amazon…

Do you ever look at the page count before clicking purchase on a book? I do. I don’t know why. If the book sounds great and has terrific reviews I’m going to buy it anyway. But I like to know how long it is.

There is a trend lately for shorter novels. Instead of seeing 300 pages or more for each book published, take a closer look and you’ll see the average book on the digital stands falls much shorter. Does this invalidate the author in any way? No. Of course not. The story takes what the story takes.

However, the better question becomes — what does the reader want from their story?

Less time available to read?

My wife reads for 15 minutes every night before bed. That’s on a good day. It takes her months to read a full-length novel. When asked how her reading experience is going there is little to discuss, because the intake is hampered by the lack of time available.

I did notice, though, that when she reads on her Kindle there tended to be a shorter reading span for books. She found a series of assassin books she absolutely loved and pounded through in a matter of weeks instead of the typical months long endeavor.

Their page length? About 200 pages per book.

Is this the future of reading for the public? Maybe. And maybe it’s a good thing.

Shorter book = less investment

With as much media overflowing from every corner of the world, with streaming services cropping up daily, books have to fight for time. A shorter book, one that sounds entertaining or enthralls a potential reader might pull that person in easier than a book clocking in at 400 to 600 pages. A nice, light weekend read might be just what someone needs to unwind rather than War and Peace or Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire…

The argument doesn’t take away from longer works. Stories dictate their length, not artificial page counts decided prior to writing.

Is this the future for books? That’s the great thing about books. It takes all kinds to make a readership. Long, short, series or standalone, all have merit and all are deserving of our attention.

Right now, though, the shorter works seem to be in demand and I find that fascinating…

What do you think? Do you prefer a shorter read to entertain you for a couple hours or do you want to fall into a world for days on end?