The Emergence of Compact Books
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The Rise of Short Texts in Publishing: A Trend Worth Noting
“Read this,” the viral tweet begins. “DO NOT look up anything about it. just read it. it’s only like 200 pages u can download it on audible it’s only like four hours. do it right now i’m very extremely serious.” Bigolas dickolas wolfwood, the viral tweet’s author, was indeed very extremely serious…
H1: A Viral Tweet Ignites Sales
In early May, a tweet by Bigolas dickolas wolfwood went viral, amassing 145,000 likes and over 20,000 retweets. The tweet urged readers to download and read “This Is How You Lose the Time War” by Amal El-Mohar and Max Gladstone without looking up any information about it. The tweet’s influence was undeniable, propelling the book to #3 on the Amazon sales chart and #9 on the New York Times bestseller list. El-Mohtar, one of the book’s authors, expressed her gratitude for the tweet.
H1: The Power of Concise, Intense Books
Industry leaders discussed the impact of the viral tweet at the Publisher’s Weekly Book Show during a panel titled “How to Talk About Books.” The tweet emphasized that the book was “only like 200 pages” and “only like four hours” as an audiobook, highlighting the appeal of concise, intense books to general readers. Traditional wisdom suggests that books that are too long or too short may not sell well, but the success of this tweet challenges that notion. With diminishing attention spans, less leisure time, and rising book prices, shorter texts such as novellas, stand-alone short stories, poetry collections, plays, and experimental cross-genre works are gaining momentum in the literary fiction and nonfiction categories.
H2: Novellas Paving the Way
Novellas have long been recommended as “palate cleansers” within the publishing industry, and recent hits such as Antoine Wilson’s “Mouth to Mouth,” Maggie Millner’s “Couplets,” and Olga Ravn’s “The Employees” have garnered attention through word-of-mouth. The Nobel Prize win by Annie Ernaux, known for her works under 200 pages, further solidified the status of slim volumes. Imprints like Gagosian’s Picture Books, McNally Jackson’s McNally Editions, and New Directions’ Storybooks have embraced the trend by releasing dedicated series of novellas and standalone short stories and essays.
H2: The Appeal of Short Texts
Short texts, often priced more reasonably than lengthier books, provide readers with a quick yet satisfying reading experience. Karah Preiss, co-founder of Belletrist book club, highlights the importance of self-esteem in reading and the confidence boost that comes from starting and finishing a book within a reasonable time frame. Additionally, for readers aiming to complete a high number of books, short texts provide a practical solution.
H3: Pricing and Publishing Trends
The Books & Books team suggests that the popularity of shorter books may be influenced by pricing, as commercial hardcovers are reaching higher price points. Grove Atlantic editor Katie Raissian emphasizes that success in the publishing industry is subjective, but the positive response from readers, critical acclaim, and awards consideration indicate that shorter novels like Caleb Azumah Nelson’s “Open Water” and Claire Keegan’s “Small Things Like These” and “Foster” have made a significant impact. Some agents and editors value the precision of shorter texts and hope to see a departure from unnecessarily padded book lengths.
H3: A Trend Worth Embracing
The literary world seems to be embracing the trend of slim volumes, following in the footsteps of Nobel winner Annie Ernaux. Authors like Alexandra Kleeman are inspired to write their own slim volumes, and publishers are releasing dedicated series and collections. As readers continue to seek shorter, intense, and concise reading experiences, the rise of short texts in publishing shows no sign of slowing down.
