The Berkun Blog
Management, design, and the making of good things.
How long should a book be?
May 29th, 2007
Everyone has an opinion on how long or short any particular book should be. It’s a fun, but futile argument, as there are too many variables, but authors and editors talk about it all the time. No one works for years on something hoping it’s a tome-like snorefest or that it leaves readers feeling ripped off. It’s subjective and every writer handles it differently. Like many decisions in writing it’s a gamble and there’s no magic answer.
However, there are arguments! Yay! What would life be without things to argue about? Here are the two opinions I’ve heard most.
The minimalist argument, likely defended by Orwell, Hemingway and Vonnegut, is that concision is golden: tight prose is what great writers write. If you have the guts to stay bold, and revise ideas down to their core, you don’t need more than 250 pages to do damn near anything. Hemingway’s The Old Man and the sea, and Orwell’s 1984, run 130 and 330 pages respectively. In geek quarters, Brook’s original Mythical Man Month ran about 200 pages and Demarco’s Peopleware, 245. And, Strunk and White, practicing all that they preach, explain how to write in a scant 103 pages.
The exposition argument is that reading is pleasure and volume is value. Why not take the long road if it’s fun or educational? Joyce’s Ulysses is 700+ pages. Wallace’s Infinite Jest (1104), Steve McConnell’s Code complete (896), or Proust’s Remembrance of Things past all take this approach. If a book is intended to be an epic, or serve as a reference, the higher the page count the more usefulness it can provide.
The bigger problem, a ruse anyone who has written a research paper knows about, is that pages are fungible things. A page, depending on its physical size, font, leading, spacing, and margins, can range from 200 to 600 words, radically shifting the word count, the real measure of a book’s length. But only writers and editors count words - the rest of the world holds tight to physics, using page numbers or the width of a book to guess its length.
What the best books do
Like any designed thing, the best books match the author’s intentions with readers expectations. By crass example, a book titled “The 10 second way to organize your day” shouldn’t be 650 pages long, nor should a book billed as “the greatest epic literary adventure of the modern age” be a 20 page series of rhyming stick figure cartoons. Book back covers and prefaces try to match expectations, but usually backslide into marketing by claiming relevance to the largest audience possible.
What I did
My first book, The art of project management, came in at 453 pages, which was a shock. I intended to be comprehensive in spirit, like a secret handbook, but not a monster reference manual. The reason for the shock was inexperience: the template used during drafts had the count at 320, but conversion into print bumped the count (prompting us to trim like mad). For the 2nd printing the form factor (physical size) changed, dropping the count to 392. (Disclosure: I have written a long book).
For my second book, The myths of innovation, my proposal promised 320 pages. But on finishing the 2nd draft I felt I’d hit the aims of the book and provided a great read, in much fewer pages. I considered expanding topics, adding stories, and even great chapters that didn’t make the original outline (There were 20 or so myths). It would have been fun and a thrill to keep rolling with the piles of research I’d done. But like a good designer, I felt the best move was to let it stand. My editor agreed. Final page count, all in, 192. (Disclosure: I have written a short book).
Two books isn’t many, but the authors I’ve asked for opinions on this question haven’t gotten back to me yet - so you’re stuck with me.
How people buy books
The last variable is cost. Many people weigh the price of the book against its page count. They see a 300 page book that costs $30 and say “Hmmmm. That’s pricey. $1 for 10 pages.” Using volume as the primary guide to book value is the SuperSize approach to reading, but it’s easy.
Publishers know this and index their prices accordingly: they want page counts to jive with costs, especially for non-fiction books. But everyone knows the logic is flawed: if the writing is so boring that you never make it past page 50, what did you really pay for? Or if you make it through all 500 pages, but have no new motivations or ideas, did you get your money’s worth? Perhaps yes if you wanted 8 hours of reading time value, but perhaps not if you hoped to learn something.
I think $30 is a bargain for good ideas and opportunities to learn. Where else can you pay so little for such things? But I’m biased as I’m in the writing game. The $$$/page count measure is lame, but it’s easy, fast and we’re familiar with it. Se la ve.
In summary, I come in as a moderate minimalist. I think long books happen because:
1. The writer was unable to write well
2. The writer chose thoroughness over other things
3. The writer’s ideas were so gigantically original that 600+ pages were necessary (hmmm)
4. The editor was asleep
5. The writer was sleeping with the editor
6. The writer ran out of time
Assuming this post wasn’t too long for you, What do you think?
Yes I know it’s a ridiculous question with zillions of variables, but have some fun. How long should books be? And what effect does length have on whether you’ll buy one or not? Does your opinion change for fiction vs. non-fiction?
Myths of Innovation #2 on amazon.com
May 24th, 2007
The slashdot review and everyone’s support pushed the Myths of Innovation up to a #98 sales rank, and the #2 slot for the entire Computer and Internet section! Thanks to everyone who’s spread the word and bought the book!
Slashdot review of Myths of Innovation
May 23rd, 2007
First major review is in:
Thankfully, this book, “the myths of innovation” breaks all of these rules. It’s an engaging, fun and quick read.
Essay #55 - How to stay motivated
May 23rd, 2007
Anyone who does anything year after year has the same challenge: keeping up intensity when the energy, and novelty, fades. This essay is my primary list for staying in the game.
Conversations about creativity
May 22nd, 2007
There’s a great series of short interviews with creators over at cecil vortex.
Conversations about creativity.
Includes interviews with Ze Frank (of the show), Rolling Stone writer Jon Carol, and musicians, jugglers, poets and other interesting folks. Worth a look.
I need your help with the new book
May 22nd, 2007
As you may know, I quit my job 4 years ago to write full time. It takes about two years to write a book, and my second, The myths of innovation, is out now and in stores.
Writing books is hard but it’s harder to find them an audience - over 100,000 books are published every year in the U.S. - and that’s where you come in.
If in the past I’ve written or talked about something you’ve enjoyed I can use help right now. I don’t ask for help often, but when it comes to a new book, I need all I can get.
Here are easy things you can do to support my writing life - None take more than a minute of your time:
- If you have a blog or a website, post a mention of the book & show the cover.
- Buy the book :) It’s shipping now from amazon.com.
- Write a review for the book on amazon.com.
- Call your local bookstore and ask for it (you don’t have to reserve it, or even buy it, just asking for it helps).
- Mention the book to friends or co-workers.
- Forward news of the book (see below) out to others who might be interested.
I have a limited number of reviewer copies I can send to anyone willing to write a review on their blog, for a magazine or even for amazon.com - Leave a comment or contact me privately and I’ll follow up.
Thanks - I appreciate the help more than you know.
The Myths of Innovation, By Scott Berkun
Amazon.com listing
Teaser video
Sample chapter (PDF)
Official press release
Early praise for the book:
“Insightful, inspiring, evocative, and just plain fun to read it’s totally great.”
– John Seely Brown, former Chief Scientist of Xerox, and Director, Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC); current Chief of Confusion
“Small, simple, powerful: an innovative book about innovation.”
– Don Norman, Nielsen Norman Group, Northwestern University; author of Emotional Design and Design of Everyday Things
“The naked truth about innovation is ugly, funny, and eye-opening, but it sure isn’t what most of us have come to believe. With this book, Berkun sets us free to try to change the world unencumbered with misconceptions about how innovation happens.”
– Guy Kawasaki, author of The Art of the Start
“Brimming with insights and historical examples, Berkun’s book not only debunks widely held myths about innovation but also points the ways toward making your new ideas stick. Even in today’s ultra-busy commercial world, reading this book will be time well spent.”
– Tom Kelley, GM, IDEO; author of The Ten Faces of Innovation
“This book cuts through the hype, analyzes what is essential, and more importantly, what is not. You will leave with a thorough understanding of what really drives innovation.”
– Werner Vogels, CTO, Amazon.com
“I loved this book. It’s an easy-to-read playbook for anyone wanting to lead and manage positive change in their business.”
– Frank McDermott, Marketing Manager, EMI Music
Footnotes vs. Endnotes: Decision!
May 21st, 2007
After the recent raging debate (35 comments) over notes, here’s what was decided:
The Myths of innovation book has both footnotes and endnotes, as follows:
- The book uses footnotes for side-commentary and brief references.
- There is an extended section of research notes, including an annotated bibliography, a ranked bibliography, and details of the research approach used in the book.
If you check out the book let me know what you think of the compromise.
Bay area book tour: report
May 21st, 2007
Time: 3 days
Lectures: 8
Hotel rooms: 3
Total audience: ~360
Places visited: E-bay, Apple, Google, MobiTV, Book Passages, Adaptive Path, Adobe
Books sold: ~50
3am nights at the W hotel bar: 1
Total cost: ~$1000
The horror stories:
- At 1am at the Sir Francis drake hotel near Union Square, the room next door turns their TV on full blast. I call the desk and they send security. 10 minutes later I get a call: the people in the room are passed out and triple locked the door. They moved me up to the 12th floor.
- All technology went to hell in the San Francisco Adobe office, and a frazzled author didn’t start until nearly 15 minutes late. This was almost compensated for by how cool and competent the tech person in San Jose was.
The fun stories:
- Had great, fun crowds. About 100 people showed up at Google, 80 or so at MobiTV, and nearly 100 at Adaptive Path. People asked questions, bought books and laughed at my jokes: that’s the trifecta.
- Did my first bookstore reading. I’d resisted this on the following assumption: how can you make a reading not pretentious? I’ve been bored to tears at every reading I’ve ever been to. I kept it short and informal - read a few pages, answered some questions, nice and simple - it was a small venue w/12 chairs, but we filled 10 of them, and sold some books.
Lessons learned :
- Make a checklist. I’ve done 3 previous tours and I still always make stupid mistakes. This time it was postcards: I had free giveaway cards but forgot to put them out at a single venue.
- Timing. Not sure what the lesson is, but it seems impossible to time a book tour just right. Either you beat the reviews, or your come in behind them: does it matter? I still wonder if there’s a way to get more out of the timing of PR like this.
- PR creates PR. Neither my interview with Matt, nor my gig at MobiTV,would have happened if the tour wasn’t already scheduled. Every tour I’ve done has at least one good opportunity fall into place that wouldn’t have happened otherwise.
Thanks to:
- My tours are only possible because of people who host me and set things up at their places of work. Thanks to Rob Christensen, Sara Peyton, Ken Norton, Chad Thornton, Peter Merholz, Sarah B. Nelson, Shailesh Shilwant, Ray Ortigas, Pedraum Pardehpoosh, Bob Baxley and everyone who came out to say hi and listen.
First reviews are in: 5 stars!
May 21st, 2007
Early book reviews are coming in: there are two five star reviews up on amazon, as well as some high praise from Duffbert’s Random Musings and LeadingBlog Now.
Occasionally I run across a book that puts into words my general and ill-defined feelings on a particular subject. And this is one of them… The Myths Of Innovation by Scott Berkun. He captures perfectly the difference between what we’ve been led to believe about innovation as opposed to how it actually works. And on top of that, it’s a fun read…
In his excellent highly and readable discussion of innovation he explains the truth behind our popular ideas and misconceptions about innovation.
Check out the Sample chapter, 10 minute video or buy the book now from amazon.com.
More tour dates: Vancouver, Boston & Seattle
May 21st, 2007
A few more chances to see me speak about the new book, The myths of Innovation.
Thurs May 24th, Business Objects Inc, Vancouver BC, 12:00pm
Thurs May 24th, VanUE, Vancouver BC 5:30pm (public)
Thursday May 31st, O’Reilly Ignite, Boston, MA 7pm
Saturday June 9th, BizJam, Seattle WA
More Pacific Northwest dates might appear soon - contact me if you have a venue idea.
Podcast interview about myths of innovation
May 21st, 2007
Matthew Mullenweg, founder of the Wordpress software that runs this website, interviewed me over dinner about the new book. It’s a great conversation, ranging from how to be happy, to start-up founder myths, to why I wait to the last second to make decisions.
Not only is he a good friend, and leader of a great young company, he does a good interview too.
PhotoMatt Podcast #9 w/Scott Berkun (13 minutes, MP3)
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