# Anyone else been told that novellas don't sell?



## hollycarole92 (Jul 12, 2012)

Let's face it: publishers don't want good writing anymore, they want marketable writing. I've been seeing a lot of posts on here from people who have written novellas. At a recent writing conference, several of the speakers said that many publishers won't consider a novella for the simple reason that it doesn't sell well. Anyone else ever heard this/have experience with trying to publish a novella?


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## Baron (Jul 12, 2012)

> Let's face it: publishers don't want good writing anymore, they want marketable writing



They're overjoyed when it's both.


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## hollycarole92 (Jul 12, 2012)

Baron said:


> They're overjoyed when it's both.



True! Unfortunately, good writing alone no longer sells.


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## Terry D (Jul 12, 2012)

The novella and novelette have always been difficult to sell, but it _has _gotten worse.  The problem is readers, not publishers.  Short stories have always appealed because of their brevity; usually a short can be read in one sitting.  Novels appeal because a reader can immerse him or herself in the story for the long haul.  The novella (17,500 to 40,000 words*) and novelette (7,500 to 17,499 words*) fall into a purgatory where the demand is very low, and the price to produce very high.  Perhaps e-readers can salvage the future of intermediate length fiction, but right now even the web-zine market for that length is very poor.  

* Word counts from Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.


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## sunaynaprasad (Jul 12, 2012)

I've been told that a bunch of times, and it made me wish novellas would sell.


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## Bloggsworth (Jul 12, 2012)

Some great films made from novellas.


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## movieman (Jul 12, 2012)

Terry D said:


> The novella and novelette have always been difficult to sell, but it _has _gotten worse.  The problem is readers, not publishers.



Of course if publishers had more novellas for sale, more readers might buy them. I gather that self-published novellas are selling quite well in at least some genres where novels haven't bloated into 200,000+ word monsters over the last few decades.

As a kid I read plenty of novels around the 50-60,000 word mark. That's not much longer than the upper limit listed for novellas.


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## Kyle R (Jul 12, 2012)

Terry D said:
			
		

> novelette (7,500 to 17,499 words*)



My current short story falls into this range. Hmmm... *ponders*


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## Bilston Blue (Jul 12, 2012)

I thought I had a novelette to try to find a home for, but looking at those word count brackets it might just be a short novella. 

It started as a simple short story, and then grew and grew some more to where it is now; and now I don't know what to do with it. I've even briefly thought of the e-publishing route that I thought I would never tread, though I don't know much about that, and I certainly don't think I'm going to be giving it away for free.

(In the meantime, I'm looking for a beta reader [I think that's what they're called] or two to cast their eyes over it).

:hi:


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## Jon M (Jul 12, 2012)

Would like to point out the highly irrelevant fact that a novella -- Denis Johnson's _Train Dreams_ -- was nominated for the 2012 Pulitzer.


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## Terry D (Jul 12, 2012)

Those word count categories are just from one source, there is no definitive, set-in-stone word counts.  Just a guideline.


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## hollycarole92 (Jul 12, 2012)

Bilston Blue said:


> (In the meantime, I'm looking for a beta reader [I think that's what they're called] or two to cast their eyes over it).
> 
> :hi:



Ooo, know any good places (besides here, since that's kind of obvious) to find beta readers?


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## JimJanuary (Jul 13, 2012)

hollycarole92 said:


> True! Unfortunately, good writing alone no longer sells.



People are stupid, and it's getting worse. The film Idiocracy is becoming a reality unfortunately.

I would say a way to make money with good writing would be to write a screenplay, as not a whole lot of people read anymore. Though it seems the films making a lot of money are the dumb blockbusters, or 'good' stories with a gimmick to it. There is the independent film market, but you would probably find that most people who watch those films read anyway and you may as well just stick with novellas.


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