I'm just wondering because it seems like if you're selling a Kindle ebook for 99 cents you don't need to be worrying about doing a 60,000 to 100,000 word count. I get it needing to be stuck to if you're doing both print and electronic formats, or if you're going with a publisher, but is there any reason not to write a 20,000-40,000 word sci fi novelette and sell it for 99 cents?
Is it required to stick with 'industry standard' word counts when doing a Kindle-style ebook?
- Thread starter Jonathan.Bentz
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Are you self-publishing?
If so, this has nothing to do with "industry standard". That standard is set by the cost of everything the publisher has to do to put that book out and still make money (after paying the author and wishing to make back their advance). That's how prices are set, and for printed it's not really worth their time and money if it's not to their preferred lengths.
Is $0.99 acceptable for a 30,000word novella? (you have a Sci-Fi Novella btw) Yes. I wouldn't mind paying that.
Could it be more? Possibly, depending on the writing quality and story. Other factors like if it's part of a series (first book, IMO, should be cheap to open the door). I wouldn't mind paying up to $3-4 for a good one.
Still, look around at other Sci-Fi self-published novellas and see their pricing, and possibly ask the authors around here of their successes. There's a lot of threads with authors talking about adjusting their prices and seeing more sales (even going higher).
If so, this has nothing to do with "industry standard". That standard is set by the cost of everything the publisher has to do to put that book out and still make money (after paying the author and wishing to make back their advance). That's how prices are set, and for printed it's not really worth their time and money if it's not to their preferred lengths.
Is $0.99 acceptable for a 30,000word novella? (you have a Sci-Fi Novella btw) Yes. I wouldn't mind paying that.
Could it be more? Possibly, depending on the writing quality and story. Other factors like if it's part of a series (first book, IMO, should be cheap to open the door). I wouldn't mind paying up to $3-4 for a good one.
Still, look around at other Sci-Fi self-published novellas and see their pricing, and possibly ask the authors around here of their successes. There's a lot of threads with authors talking about adjusting their prices and seeing more sales (even going higher).
Thanks for the advice and the info. I wasn't sure if it qualified as a novella as some of these could turn out to be 20,000 rather than 30-40,000 words.
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Self-published books run the gamut from $.99 cents and up with a wide variety of word count. Check out what other books similar to yours are selling for and price accordingly.
I have shorts from 5K to 12K, one Novella at 52K, and numerous novels from 82K to 100K available on amazon so I don't think they limit by word count.
Amazon does not limit you in any way. The proof is the idiots who publish 7 page "Novels" that have no plot, characters or anything but a basic description of something. Look at any of the free Kindle lists for these.
Bottom line is, readers set the requirements on Kindle. If your first work short changes them, they won't buy your second. And making money on Kindle requires regular works being published and bought by your fan base.
Jeff
Bottom line is, readers set the requirements on Kindle. If your first work short changes them, they won't buy your second. And making money on Kindle requires regular works being published and bought by your fan base.
Jeff
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I always include wordcounts in my book information to give readers an idea of what they are buying.
Good idea. Even at 99 cents, some readers expect a novel-length work. If they've bought the story and it ends up shorter than they like, you may get dinged in your reviews.
I try to include a page count in my description and Amazon does this, too, for the most part. For some reason, the page number on my manuscript and Amazon's "estimated" page count are always different from one another. I had an 80-page piece and they estimated 74 pages. I had a 66-page piece and they estimated 70 pages.
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Price 'em any way you please as long as you label it according to standard word counts.
If something's a short story, call it a short story. If something's a novella, call it a novella. Truth in packaging. Let the readers know up-front what they're getting.
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All the top digital first (e-publishers) publish books of that length as novellas as well as all the smaller ones. I have a 14,900 word story for sale with an e-publisher. (Not Wicked Wonderland which is a full length novel) Shorter is very common in epublishing. The Big Six are looking for them for their digital lines.
Although the shorter your book is the more likely you are of getting reviews that complain about it.
It hasn't happened to me, but I've seen one star reviews of other authors books, that actually say stuff like "I loved this book, loved the writing, the characters and the plot, but I'm giving it one star for being too short." :-/
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Both the Nebula and Hugo awards use the same standard for word count categories. Quoting the Nebula rules:
"Short Story: less than 7,500 words;
Novelette: at least 7,500 words but less than 17,500 words;
Novella: at least 17,500 words but less than 40,000 words
Novel: 40,000 words or more."
So for someone writing fantasy or science fiction (as the original poster seems to be), it's sensible to use those as a naming guide. They're the lengths fans are used to and it makes it more obvious where your work goes if anyone wants to nominate it (aim high and all that).
"Short Story: less than 7,500 words;
Novelette: at least 7,500 words but less than 17,500 words;
Novella: at least 17,500 words but less than 40,000 words
Novel: 40,000 words or more."
So for someone writing fantasy or science fiction (as the original poster seems to be), it's sensible to use those as a naming guide. They're the lengths fans are used to and it makes it more obvious where your work goes if anyone wants to nominate it (aim high and all that).
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Publishers that publish digital only or digital first do not require those word lengths. And I don't think industry standard for more traditional trade publishing is as low as 60,000 but lots of digital first lines and digital only lines of publishers are open to as low as 12,000 words.
You can go as low as 5000 or less if self publishing.
Be warned though there are people who give one star ratings if they think a book is too short even if they loved it. Even if it was 99 cents.
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I think one of the benefits of e-publishing is that there is no minimum or maximum word count. Your story can be as long or short as it needs to be.
In fact, it's my understanding that the novella is making a comeback because of e-publishing.
In fact, it's my understanding that the novella is making a comeback because of e-publishing.
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