Jan 19, 2015

My love affair with novellas

My Dad once told me that good things come in small packages. I have a feeling he told me this because I’m 5’4’’ on a good day, and have been ever since I stopped growing around the time high school started.

This is the book that started my
love affair with short reads
Speaking of smaller things, I’ve always enjoyed short books. I read a lot of category romances which run at the 50,000 word mark and I’m a huge fan of novellas as well which can be anywhere from 15,000 to 40,000 words (they can be longer for other genres where the average word count of a book is higher).

It’s not to say I can’t find pleasure in longer reads (since I just finished A Game f Thrones by George R.R. Martin which is longest book I’ve ever read and I loved it) but I enjoy the immediate gratification of a shorter read.

Not convinced? Here are my top reasons to pick up a novella today:

Instant gratification
Many novellas can be read in a single sitting. They’re great if you’ve come off the back of a long read and you’re looking for something quick and enjoyable. You get your happy ever after right away!

Revisit your favourite worlds
Many romance series these days have novellas as well as full-length novels. They’re a great way to check back in with your favourite world, see the characters who’ve been in the background of previous stories or to find some new characters to love.

Try out a new author
If you’re interested in trying out a new author, you don’t always have to commit to a full-length book straight away. Novellas are generally cheaper as well as quicker to read, which makes them a great way to see if you connect with an author’s voice and characters before you hand over the price of a bigger book.

Get your fix between big books
Writing is tough work and the publishing process can be slow. This means readers often have to wait long times between installments in their favourite series. A lot of authors are now releasing novellas so they can give their fans something between larger projects.

Novellas pack a punch
You might only have half the words but you still get all of the perks: chemistry, conflict and the beloved HEA. With the short word count authors have to work hard to fit everything into the story, meaning novellas are a concentrated form of romance goodness. Less words doesn’t have to mean less story.

Are you a fan of novellas? What the best one that you’ve read so far?


If you're looking for a place to start my novella with Entangled’s Lovestruck imprint, The RulesAccording to Gracie, is out today!! Happy Days.  

10 comments:

  1. Hi Stefanie

    I agree I do enjoy novellas and have read quite a few of them over the years and your one should be landing on my kindle today and I look forward to reading it some of the great ones I have read are Bought by the Italian Annie West Her Christmas Earl Anna Campbell A Fruitful Intimacy Donna Gallagher

    Have Fun
    Helen

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    1. Thanks Helen, I hope you enjoy it! I love that novellas come in all sub-genres too - contemporary, historical, paranormal. So much to choose from :)

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  2. I love novellas so long as they are well written. Can't think of titles at present, but there has been some that I've read that are short enough that either there's no proper development between characters, or the HEA and story are no believable.

    I think what I like the most about novellas is that they are often published in anthologies, which give the opportunity to read new-to-me authors.

    Looking forward to reading 'The Rules According to Gracie'

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    1. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Lyn! I know what you mean, the story still has to show character growth even if the word count is less. Totally agree :)

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  3. Can't wait for this one to land on my iPad today, Stefanie. You sure had the cover fairies looking after you on this one :-)

    I'm a novella fan too. The only thing that annoys me is reviews that say this book was too short and if they'd only known they wouldn't have bothered. Grrrrr! It tells you how many pages it is when you buy it - buyer beware imho!

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    1. Thanks Amy, I certainly got luck with the cover! I hope you enjoy it :)

      I always check the page count on amazon, very easy to find that info!

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  4. Congratulations on your new release, Stef!!! And I'm with Amy on the fab cover.

    I'll be the lone voice of dissent and say I'm not a huge fan of novellas. I mean, I can see and appreciate their art, but...well, what can I say--I'm a long-term commitment kinda gal. ;-) I like to lose myself in a big fat tome. Sometimes I think the fatter the better.

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    1. Thanks Michelle!

      I've grown to appreciate longer books over the years, I used to avoid them but now I like to mix it up. A short book for me is the perfect follow on from a longer read :)

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  5. What a cover. So jealous. I haven't read many novellas, but they're on my TBR list - if I get the time. Which I guess would be a good reason to read them, less time required.

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    1. Thanks Sue, I adore the cover too! You just need a nice cup of tea or coffee and a little time to spare :)

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