How Long Should Your Book Be?
When I was in high school, and my English teacher, Ms. Peckham, assigned an essay the class would inevitably ask, “How long should it be?” Without fail, her answer was, “Long enough to have legs.”
As a teenager, I hated that answer. I needed specifics, guidelines, and a clear target to hit. I wanted to know the exact number of words or pages to write. But that wasn’t her point. My goal wasn’t to hit a word count—it was to write an essay that earned an A. Ms. Peckham didn’t grade us on length; she graded us on the quality of our thoughts, the strength of our arguments, and the clarity of our writing.
Fast forward to today, and I hear a similar question from writers all the time: “How long should my book be?”
Legs vs. Word Count
When people hear how quickly I write books, the next question they always ask is, “How long are they?”
My books range from 30,000 to 75,000 words -the bestsellers are the 30K books. Regardless of length, they all take me roughly the same amount of time to write. That’s because I don’t write by word count—I write by chapter or beats. I focus on the Goal, Motivation, and Conflict (GMC) of each chapter, because that’s how I measure success. For me, the question isn’t “How long is the book?” but “Does it have legs?”
By “legs,” I mean:
Does the story hold up from beginning to end?
Are the characters’ motivations clear and compelling?
Does the pacing keep readers engaged and eager to turn the page?
Does the book deliver on the expectations of its genre and tropes?
If the answer to all of these questions is yes, then the book is “long enough.” Length becomes secondary to quality.
Why Word Count Isn’t Everything
For some authors, writing to a specific word count works brilliantly. It provides structure and a clear target to aim for. If that’s your process, fantastic! But for others, focusing solely on word count can lead to filler scenes, unnecessary tangents, or the breaking apart of contractions to hit the daily word count goal. Oh, is that just me?
Books that “have legs” resonate with readers. They get better reviews. For example, you might read a review that says it felt too short or too long. But rarely does that have to do with actual word count, does it? The reader felt something in the story was missing or meandered too long. If you simply cut a few paragraphs or added a couple more pages, it wouldn’t change their mind. It’s likely a plot point or beat or obligatory scene from that trope that was missing. It really is quality over quantity. That’s what truly matters—not whether your book hits an arbitrary word count.
How to Write a Book with Legs
So, how do you ensure your story stands on its own, regardless of length? For me, it all comes back to structure and pacing.
I don’t count words; I count beats. I don’t aim to fill a certain number of pages; I aim to fulfill the GMC of each chapter. My focus is always on the quality of the story I’m telling, not the quantity of words I’m putting on the page.
Focus on What Matters
If you’re tired of worrying about word count or feeling stuck in the middle of your manuscript, let me show you a better way. The Page Turner Pacing system was designed to help writers like you create stories that are binge-worthy, unputdownable, and, most importantly, built to stand on their own. By focusing on beats, tropes, and pacing, you can craft a book that has legs—whether it’s 30k or 130k.
Back my Kickstarter today, and let’s work together to create stories that not only have legs but can run. Whether you’re a word count writer or a beat-based writer, this system will help you hit your goals—and keep readers coming back for more.