Is it just me or has anyone noticed that the TNG relaunch novels are now shorter and quicker to read with a big font?
Is is just me or?
- Thread starter Man of Steel
- Start date
I've read Resistance and I have Q&A on my shelf to read. I did notice that the novels look a bit on the thin side. The books sit next to the Titan novels, which are all very thick. I realize that a longer book isn't necessarily a better book, but I sure hope Q&A has good substance (It's KRAD so I'm sure it will). I found Resistance to be a fun, quick, but ultimately underwhelming read.
FWIW, Q & A is at 70,000 words, and right at the midrange of my Trek fiction:
- Articles of the Federation -- 104,000
The Art of the Impossible -- 99,000
A Burning House -- 97,000
A Time for War, a Time for Peace -- 89,000
Enemy Territory -- 80,000
The Brave and the Bold Book 2 -- 75,000
Demons of Air and Darkness -- 70,000
A Good Day to Die -- 70,000
Q & A -- 70,000
Diplomatic Implausibility -- 65,000
The Brave and the Bold Book 1 -- 60,000
Honor Bound -- 60,000
Satisfaction is Not Guaranteed -- 53,000
The Mirror-Scaled Serpent -- 50,000
Longer books are better,
^ So, size does matter?
I tend to prefer longer books if they're good. Shorter books if they're not. The only downside to shorter good books is that they're over too quickly.
And just because it can't be said enough...
Article of the Federation is AWESOME. [Definitely a GOOD book.]
And just because it can't be said enough...
Article of the Federation is AWESOME. [Definitely a GOOD book.]
As far as I'm concerned, no good book can be too long, no bad book can be too short. But I also feel that quantity has virtually no bearing on quality.
This coming from the man who gave us Provenance of Shadows.
You've spoiled us! We want all of our books long and good!
One of the TOP Trek books in history--although I have to say that it is my all time favourite Trek story, with David Mack's Wildfire coming in a real close second.
Yes, yes, as my wife says, I can't clear my throat in fewer than ten pages. But just because most of my novels are long doesn't make them good. In fact, there are certainly readers out there who would argue the reverse: that the length of my books, predicated on my style of writing and storytelling, help make those books bad. I'm gratified that so many readers like my novels, but I'm under no illusion that everybody does.
Though I'll stand by my belief that longer books don't necessarily mean better books, I do recognize that longer novels are often different than shorter ones, in that they can allow for greater detail and more intricate plotting. Still, the bottom line is that a writer must do his job well, no matter how many words they employ in telling their tale.
I'm just having a little bit of fun with you. Love your work and all that.
Ah, but with a bad book, you're free to stop reading and set it aside at any point, regardless of length, whereas with a good book, once you read that last page, it's over. Thus, it is better for books to be long.
Fictitiously yours, Trent Roman
^ Not a bad point, Trent.
For what it's worth, the original spec novel I'm marketing was initially 130,000 words, but I was told it was poorly paced. I've tightened it to 115K, and I think it works better at that length. Long is only good if the story needs to be that long. (For that matter, the last 3 or 4 Harry Potter books could've stood some significant trimming.)
It's often recommended that when you revise your first draft, your goal should be to cut ten percent of its length. I've never achieved that much of a decrease (except on this spec novel), but I do find that it helps considerably to make several passes through a book or story and trim out every extraneous word or sentence I can find.
It's often recommended that when you revise your first draft, your goal should be to cut ten percent of its length. I've never achieved that much of a decrease (except on this spec novel), but I do find that it helps considerably to make several passes through a book or story and trim out every extraneous word or sentence I can find.
that claim annoys me. they were fine.
The whole HP series could have been better paced. A lot of the stuff from book six could have been incorporated into books 2-5 and then you jump into book 7, 6 felt like a filler to me.
Anyways, back on topic - kind of - my first spec novel, a crime one, came in at 94,000 words and although it was well written according to the rejection slips, it just didn't have the right stuff for the market at the time. The novel I'm researching at the moment is niche market so I have more of a chance of it getting picked up.
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