Is Nonfiction Normally Longer?

jamiehall · Nov 30, 2006

I've been seeing a bunch of threads about novels being too long when they reach the 110,000 to 130,000 range (that is, long enough to put off agents and editors, even though there are novels even longer than that getting published). However, it seems to me, especially by looking at the nonfiction books I prefer, that nonfiction is often longer than fiction. Is this impression true? Are the norms for a nonfiction book longer?

After all, a lot of people don't read nonfiction cover-to-cover, but browse it at need, so a long book isn't as intimidating, and may in fact be much more appealing (buyers feel like they are getting more information for their money).

underthecity · Nov 30, 2006

Nonfiction can be practically any length. Shelby Foote's Civil War books are monstrous tomes, but the length has never scared off publishers and readers.

Word lengths in nonfiction vary greatly. It really depends on the subject matter and what the publisher prefers. If a publisher likes your subject and thinks it's too long, they'll want you to cut it down. Or maybe not.

Usually guidelines on publishers' preferred word lengths can be found in Writers Market.

allen

Anthony Ravenscroft · Dec 1, 2006

The short answer would be "no." You can get consideration for a n/f manuscript on its own merits if it's (say) 40,000 words, but my feeling is that your odds would be far worse for a same-length fictive work.

jamiehall · Dec 2, 2006

Anthony Ravenscroft said:
The short answer would be "no." You can get consideration for a n/f manuscript on its own merits if it's (say) 40,000 words, but my feeling is that your odds would be far worse for a same-length fictive work.

I'm not thinking about trying to sell really short nonfiction, but about trying to sell long nonfiction (adult nonfiction approaching 200,000 words). A lot of the nonfiction I own is on larger pages that easily fit 375-400 words per page, and most of it is 500 pages or more.

This made me think that the upper limit at which nonfiction starts seeming intimidating to agents and publishers is more flexible than the upper limit for fiction, and I was trying to determine if I was right about that.

Anthony Ravenscroft · Dec 3, 2006

It depends on the category, niche, genre, etc.

The "self-help" areas tend to want more bitesized books, maybe up to the 65K-85K range.

Biography & historicals can waltz in at 200K-250K without causing screams of anguish.

It'd also depend on whether the proposed publisher is one of those old-fashioned "hardback first" houses. As you've noted, few people even blink at a two-inch hardcover, which would make a mass-size paperback somewhere between 2" & 4".

I could propose a rule of thumb that, the greater the deviation from the "norm," the greater the author's status (fame, authority, etc.) must be. It's not impossible for a relative unknown to sell a category-defining tome, merely unlikely.

Joanna_S · Dec 4, 2006

Heck, one of my books came in at a minute 7,500 words. It all depends on the subject and the type of book. I've done mostly small, illustrated gift books. The illustrations take up a lot of pages and they try to keep the books under 100 pages total. Stocking stuffer size. I know you were talking about long books but my point is that there is an enormous range. When you write your proposal, estimate how many words it will take. The publisher can tell you what size they'd prefer and you can go from there.

-- Joanna

Talia · Dec 7, 2006

yep i agree - it depends... LOL

it depens on whether it is a text book or self help. the quality of the material. qualifications of the author. authorities quoted to support the writings etc

i'd worry less about length per se and more about making sure every word you've written is meaningful

Is Nonfiction Normally Longer?

jamiehall

Bereaved Snarkling

underthecity

Finestkind

Anthony Ravenscroft

Scribble, scribble, scribble

jamiehall

Bereaved Snarkling

Anthony Ravenscroft

Scribble, scribble, scribble

Joanna_S

Talia

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