You want to write short fiction, and you have a vital question—how many words do I need? This topic came up in a recent writers’ group meeting.
We all had questions about this because when you write fiction, deciding on length before you start writing is vital: your structure depends on it. Before I began my self-publishing journey, when I submitted book proposals to publishers, I decided the word count first.
So, how long is “average” fiction—that is, a novel or a novella?
How long is a novel or a novella?
When we discuss lengths, consider that it’s your writing.
As the author, you decide on everything about your words, including the length of a project. If you’re self-publishing, you needn’t conform to a publisher’s needs. All word counts are up to you.
Here’s how our group estimated the word counts of various forms of fiction:
Short story: very short fiction up to 20,000 words;
Novella: short fiction from 20,000 to 40,000 words;
Novel: fiction from 40,000 words to… whatever. Your novel can be as long as you wish.
Now let’s look at word counts for novellas and short stories.
Short fiction: how long is a novella?
Essentially, novellas are short novels, or long short stories if you want to look at them that way. I’ve decided that fiction that’s over 20,000 words and under 40,000 words is a novella.
By the way, when you’re writing short fiction, advise readers that it’s short in your product description—even on the book cover. With today’s readers’ limited time and short attention span, readers appreciate shorties.
I love novellas because by nature I’m wordy, and it’s a flaw. When I glance at novels I wrote several years ago, my brain yells: cut, cut! This would have been much stronger if you’d cut it…
Every novella I write teaches me something, and trains me to develop stronger characters and scenes. If you haven’t tried this form, I encourage you to do so; chances are you’ll learn a lot.
How long is a short story?
A short story can be very short; it might be 500 words, or less. My short stories tend to be around 10,000 words.
An author said: “But I want to sell my work. Why would I write something short?”
You can sell short fiction. (This was a revelation to a couple of our newer writers.)
Amazon has a section for short stories; here are the Top 100, Paid and Free. Readers actively search for short material. It’s satisfying to read your favorite genre while you’re waiting for your kids after school, or during your lunch hour, and know that you can finish the read in a single session.
What about pricing your short fiction?
We had authors with different opinions. The consensus? It’s up to you. Authors seem to price their stories low on Amazon, but they can be full price too. For example, I’m a fan of Ernest Haycox’s work. His short story Stage to Lordsburg was filmed as Stagecoach in 1939. I’ve always wanted to read the story, and the digital version is priced higher than some of his novels.
Authors pointed out that you can use your short fiction in many ways. A couple of authors use their shorties as promotional tools on their websites and in newsletters, and publish them as well.
The biggest benefit of short fiction: productivity
A novel can take months to write, and more months for editing and publishing. A story, on the other hand, takes mere hours.
Let’s say that you have a novel which isn’t telling, and you know it should. Why not write a quick story using your novel’s characters, and publish it to advertise your novel? Advertise your novel in the story’s front or back matter.
Undoubtedly, writing short fiction is a productive use of your time. Keep track of your stories; they’ll more than repay the time you spend on them.
Escape Across Time: Tara, Molly, & Priscilla (Time Travel Regency Romance Trilogy)
Three popular novels in one volume. Read the complete trilogy...
Love time travel romances and the Regency era?
Three novels in one volume. Read the complete trilogy…
Tara’s Enchantment: Regency Time Travel Romance, Book 1
What if you could escape across time, and find your soulmate? At 26, gorgeous Tara Ballantine has a near-perfect life. Not only is she lovely, but she also has a trust fund from her billionaire father, and two loving sisters. Her boyfriend’s proposed too. Tara doesn’t realize that her stepmother’s hatred will send her across the world and across time. Discover Adam and Tara’s story, and the story of Pudding, the time traveling toy poodle.Molly’s Magic: Regency Time Travel Romance, Book 2
Your life can change in an instant… At 24, not only is Molly Ballantine stunning, she has two sisters she loves, and a wonderful career. Then her eldest sister Tara vanishes, and her life disintegrates. Molly’s life is about to become even more chaotic. She wakes up 200 years in the past, with a man who’s too good-looking for her peace of mind. Molly soon becomes desperate to return to her own time. She’s falling in love with Edmund, the handsome, aristocratic rake, and she can’t allow that to happen. She has good reason not to trust handsome men.Priscilla’s Destiny: Regency Time Travel Romance, Book 3
22-year-old Priscilla Ballantine is the beautiful youngest daughter of billionaire Thomas Ballantine. Cosseted and protected by her two older sisters, she’s an artist, a dreamer. She doesn’t have an adventurous bone in her body. So when she’s despatched 200 years into the past, and wakes up stark naked in revolutionary France, only the awareness that she must rescue her beloved sisters puts steel into her spine. Handsome aristocrat, and master spy, Dominick de Roche, Lord Bellemieux, finds Priscilla naked, and disoriented. Priscilla’s horrified by her attraction to de Roche. Of all the dangers she faces, that may be the biggest danger. She can’t fall in love with a man who in her own time, is long dead… Or can she? Read the complete Time Travel Regency Romance Trilogy now.
The Lady And The Devil: If You Knew Me
Will she accept his help, and love?
When Cerise and her sister are in danger, she relies on herself. There's no one else. Then she meets Lord Grayhurst.
Betrayed…
In danger…
Will she accept his help, and love?
Cerise Fortier, accustomed to betrayal…
Determined to rescue her sister, Cerise Fortier plans an escape from danger. Their stepbrother has driven her to this. Not only has he squandered the family’s fortune, she has darker suspicions, too…
Lord Grayhurst, accustomed to command…
Grayhurst, a soldier, left the army after Waterloo determined to forget the tragedy of war.
When his grandmother tricks him into checking on the wellbeing of her goddaughter, Cerise, he agrees. He vaguely remembers Cerise: a curvy girl with masses of red hair. He doesn’t like her stepbrother; he’s heard rumors.
With the scars of battle on his body and heart, Lord Grayhurst knows he will never marry — can Cerise help him to heal?
The Lady And The Devil: If You Knew Me is Cerise’s story; the sixth novel in the Regency romance series, The Eardleys Of Gostwicke Hall.
(All the novels in the series can be read as standalones.)
