Will E-Books Lead to Longer Novels?

BarbaraKE said:

I should have said I think both longer *and* shorter works will become more available. I know several people that write short stories but basically do it 'for fun' because it's hard to get them published. I'm sure there are many authors in the same position. Now they can published their stories themselves.

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I don't anything for "fun", not my novels nor my short stories. Writing isn't a hobby or a sideline for me, however, it is my full time occupation.

I don't really think it's hard to get well written quality short fiction published - I have a reasonably long list of credits including nationally distributed print pubs and nine anthology credits. Some of the short fiction I have sold pays quite well.

While longer lengths would be easier accomodated in an e-book, I still think length restrictions will apply. Just because a book can be longer, doesn't always mean it should be. I'm sure there will be exceptions, just as their are now, but I don't see 2000 page books becoming the norm. If for no other reason then it would be more profitiable to break it down into multiple volums they can sell.

As a reader - I'm loving it. Actually, the longer-length novel (particularly historicals, thrillers, Clancy stuff) was always around until past few years. Now we're seeing the advent of the "McBook". I can read the average $8.99 novel on the toilet. For get the 28.99 for hardcover. No way! I NEED a weighter read (or a Kindle will do). I fear its the publishing industry going the way of music and other arts. All canned formulas and no room for creative output. Most of what we're seeing on bookshelves - formula writing. Why most music lovers now haunt indy sites, and readers the used bookstores. Just my 2-cents worth : )

SJp said:

Forgive me if this has been asked before. I didn't see this question posed anywhere. With e-readers continuing to rise, do you believe we will see growing number of lengthier fiction be considered and published?

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By the traditional/NY publishers? I wouldn't think there will be any significant size changes. They still have to do print versions, and the same cost restraints remain. I think it would be too costly for them to have the ebook be of a different length (and thus of different content) than the print, because they would have to work on two different versions of the same book. If ebooks became the norm, then maybe it might be different.

By ebook publishers? More likely there will be more size differences. I think there probably already are. Don't know what that means if they have a POD option though.

By self-publishers? Definitely. Because I'm in this case myself, though it is with shorter rather than longer lengths. I'm still working on my series of novels, but I try to think ahead too. If I do a POD version, it will likely combine two or three books into one omnibus edition. But this is just a thought--I haven't investigated my POD options thoroughly.

Jodi

I only read shorter pieces in e-format. Anything longer than a novella make my eyes bleed.

johnnysannie said:

I don't anything for "fun", not my novels nor my short stories. Writing isn't a hobby or a sideline for me, however, it is my full time occupation.

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All my writing is for fun. If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't do it.

veinglory said:

Some of those attempts are operating right now. Others closed within the last year.

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Yes, they won't all be successful. The Mongoliad thing from Neal Stephenson looks interesting, and I note HuffPo are serialising a novel. Random in the UK just had some success with serialised paranormal romance, also. And lest we forget Diary of a Wimpy Kid started as a web serial way back in 2004.

I can't really think of a reason why serial fiction in general wouldn't work these days?

ios said:

If I do a POD version, it will likely combine two or three books into one omnibus edition. But this is just a thought--I haven't investigated my POD options thoroughly.

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POD binding and the glue used are not conducive to large doorstop books; the cost is also prohibitive.

Medievalist said:

POD binding and the glue used are not conducive to large doorstop books; the cost is also prohibitive.

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Sorry I wasn't clearer. My fault. I write fantasy, and not urban or YA which I think are a shorter than general fantasy. General fantasy is around 100k-120k words. My books are shorter--about 40k-50k words. That is easily half what a normally published fantasy book is. So, my thinking is that putting around 100k - 120k words in a POD book is better than putting 50k. From hearsay, I understand that having the "normal" sized book is more cost effective than a "short" book in POD because of how the POD companies price things. But maybe I heard wrong. It's something I will have to look into, along with the binding/glue. Thanks for bringing that point up though. It is appreciated.

Jodi

ios said:

Sorry I wasn't clearer. My fault. I write fantasy, and not urban or YA which I think are a shorter than general fantasy. General fantasy is around 100k-120k words. My books are shorter--about 40k-50k words. That is easily half what a normally published fantasy book is. So, my thinking is that putting around 100k - 120k words in a POD book is better than putting 50k.

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For what it's worth, this is pretty much an element of my medium-term plan for my short novel series. Each novel will be approx 45-60k words, and I'll eventually package two of them together in ebook and paper omnibuses. I figure 90-120k words is no longer than your average novel, so the binding shouldn't be an issue.