While shorter books are quicker to read (great for our Goodreads reading challenge) and easier to digest in some regards, it seems that plenty of readers prefer to get caught up in longer reads. I'm not sure why this surprised me, but it did.
When submitting books to agents and editors in traditional publishing, a rule of thumb is nothing much longer than 100,000 words. That's a respectable size novel, not too long, not too short. However, it seems like when books are longer, and the length is not padding, but involve character growth, necessary world building, and an intriguing plot, readers enjoy that getting-lost-in-the-world feeling.
THE WINNERS*
Shorter:
Anne
Debra
Dena
Elizabeth
Longer:
Christina
Rebecca
Summer
Tanya Y.
*All the winners have been notified.
