That’s right, I said it. Short books are better than long ones.
I mean, who has the time to read a three-hundred-page book these days?
I was trying to think back to the last time I read a longer book, and it was only two hundred pages.
Aside from fiction books, I believe more people want shorter books that get straight to the point and eliminate all the fluff.
Not to say that people don’t want relatable stories. They do. But they also don’t want stories that go on and on and make you forget about the topic at hand.
However, let’s look at why more authors, especially self-published authors, should focus on writing short books.
Reading is on the Decline
Sure, we know that during the pandemic, people read more. And we know that thanks to a lot of free money, people even bought more books with that money (I know I did).
However, the pandemic is over, and people are returning to their everyday lives. Here are a few stats about reading that blew my mind.
One of every three teenagers has not read a book for pleasure in a year (Source).
People between 15 to 44 read for an average of 10 minutes or less per day (Source).
30% of Americans read e-books over paperbacks (Source).
75% of Americans have read (at least partially) a book in the past 12 months (Source).
25% of Americans have not read at all for a year (Source).
Okay, I think you got the picture. People might read a book in a year or at least start a book, but they don’t finish it. That stinks. Why do you think they start and don’t finish?
Maybe it’s because of the length? However, I want to look at one more statistic that I saw that is making me think more about shorter books.
A Few Stats on Book Publishing
After reading that people are reading less, I thought it would be essential to see what is happening with publishing in 2023. So, I dove in and found some fascinating stats that I wanted to share with you.
700,000 to 1,000,000 new book titles appear every year. Half of these are self-published (Source).
67% of all eBook sales are made on Amazon (Source).
Nonfiction outsells fiction by a margin of nearly 3-to-2 (Source).
The bestselling eBook categories on Amazon are Religion/Spirituality, Biographies and Memoirs, Business and Money, and Self Help.
People are buying more books than ever, but they aren’t reading them (Source).
So, we know people are reading less, but books are being sold. So, why aren’t people reading the books they buy? Well, I can tell you why. Work, family life, church, TV, extracurricular activities, the list goes on and on.
We are crazy busy again.
The Answer to the Reading Problem
Reading, like many things, typically starts out small and then gets bigger. When we were children, we read short, simple books. Then, we wanted to move on to bigger and longer stories.
I believe this is true for many adults who have lost sight of reading since college or since their school days when all they read were crazy burning textbooks (if they even did that).
I think going back to shorter books with super helpful and practical information is the place to be. If you can take the info you read in, say, 30 minutes and apply it, then you might go back to that author again.
I’ve found this to be true with my books. My sell-through rates are pretty good when I offer a deal on books. People tend to buy the deal book and then pick up the others as they finish the first book.
This is why I think shorter reads and books will be the place to be over the long haul. Yes, it’s great to have a longer book, but those might be for the people who already trust you to write great books.
But I would love to hear what you think. If you think I am crazy, tell me why. If you think this makes sense, what would help make shorter books better?
Want to read a couple of short books?
Check out my Goal Setting and Life Planning books today! Both are super short and practical, and I have heard back from several people who have read them and said how much they appreciate their brevity and practicality.
J.R. Heimbigner is a #1 Bestselling Christian Author on Amazon who writes about faith, family, and writing books. Join his Substack community and learn more about self-publishing and faith today!
Grab his fantastic writing and self-publishing resources on Gumroad today!
Also, if you are looking for more ideas on how to write a book, I have outlined in my most recent book on Amazon how to take your Substack stories and turn them into books. Grab your copy today!
I agree with you. I find short reads easier, I just have a heck of a time writing short. I'm working on it though. Thanks for the post.
I marketed Main Street, a Gables and Gingerbread Story, as a working woman’s novel at a whopping 100 pages. I thought it would be great for book clubs because it deals with prejudice, isolationism and hope in that small package.