Category Clarification

[Bandicoot007]

Hello,

I was looking for a bit of clarification about a category. Specifically the Novels and Novellas. So if I'm understanding the description correctly, this category is more story with less sex, but still included. While other categories tend to be more sex less story? Or is it based on length being a "novel"? Thanks in advance for your time.

Bandicoot

 

[sr71plt]

based on length. If it's long (five Lit. pages or more) and covers several hetero categories, you could put it here.

 

[NicoleZ]

Most full-length novels aimed at an adult audience are between 80,000 and 100,000 words. SciFi & Fantasy and works of established authors may be substantially longer than this though. If the target audience is "youth", the length drops to between 60k and 80k words. A Short Story is anywhere between 750 (Literotics limit) and ~15,000. Anything in between is a novella, that is between 15,000 and 60,000 words. (World of physical publishing)

I know there are those who claim that a Lit page is about 4,000 words, but they have gotten the balance between dialogue and info dumps wrong. ( )

 

[Bandicoot007]

Most full-length novels aimed at an adult audience are between 80,000 and 100,000 words. SciFi & Fantasy and works of established authors may be substantially longer than this though. If the target audience is "youth", the length drops to between 60k and 80k words. A Short Story is anywhere between 750 (Literotics limit) and ~15,000. Anything in between is a novella, that is between 15,000 and 60,000 words.

If we look at the number of words per Lit page, it should be about 3,200 - 3,500 words, no more. I know there are those who claim that a Lit page is about 4,000 words, but they have gotten the balance between dialogue and info dumps wrong. ( )

Thank you for the information. Just so I'm clear, a novel is between 80-100k total correct?

 

[TxRad]

If we look at the number of words per Lit page, it should be about 3,200 - 3,500 words, no more. I know there are those who claim that a Lit page is about 4,000 words, but they have gotten the balance between dialogue and info dumps wrong. ( )

Actually, Lit pages are based on characters, not words and the number 3750 words came from Weird Harold, who took a hundred lit stories, counted the words per page and averaged.

 

[Kantarii]

And,a great story to me isn't defined be its length of how many words contained within it, but how the author uses and applies those words to convey the story being told. So, potentially, a 50,000 word story may have more of an impact on the reader and leave a lasting impression than say a 100,000 word story. Just my opinion. But, what do I know? I just read and write stories for fun and entertainment. It's not like it's a 9-5 desk job Monday - Friday for meKant

 

[Hypoxia]

To me, Novels & Novellas is a destination for longer works that don't fit well in a single other category, and a longer work that DOES stick to a theme should be posted to the appropriate category. This is especially important for a contest entry, which must be a standalone story (no chapters). I edited a major contest winner that was 66k words, 19 LIT pages, in Erotic Horror. It's had zillions of views (and a very high vote score) which it likely wouldn't have attained in Novels & Novellas.

Selecting a category is part of an author's calculation here. A story in a niche category may get fairly few views but a fairly high vote. Stories in the most-read categories may have votes driven down but gain many more views. Which do you prefer, votes or eyeballs? I'd like my stories to grab eyeballs and maybe generate reactions. If I affect someone, I've done my job.

 

[sr71plt]

Thank you for the information. Just so I'm clear, a novel is between 80-100k total correct?

No. We are in an electronic environment at Literotica. Nicole was citing the mainstream print environment. In the e-world, novellas start at about 15,000 words (novelettes, a new category print didn't have, are something over about 11,000 words to 15,000). Novels start at 40,000. You are restricted to these numbers for the Lit. Novels/Novellas category, though. Readers aren't counting words.

At TxRad noted, Nicole got the usual length of a Lit. page wrong too.

 

[NicoleZ]

At TxRad noted, Nicole got the usual length of a Lit. page wrong too.

You should at least try and put some dialogue in sr71plt, then you'll see who's right and who's wrong.

 

[TxRad]

You should at least try and put some dialogue in sr71plt, then you'll see who's right and who's wrong.

Go pick a hundred stories at random and average the word count per page. That's how the 3750 average word count came about. We'll wait while you check it.

 

[sr71plt]

You should at least try and put some dialogue in sr71plt, then you'll see who's right and who's wrong.

You should recognize that you are new here and sit back and look more than you do before acting like you have experience here. You provided misinformation.

 

[NicoleZ]

You should recognize that you are new here and sit back and look more than you do before acting like you have experience here. You provided misinformation.

And you did not when in a different thread some time ago you claimed that the avge Lit page was about 4,000 words, Mr "Pilot". By the way, does the designation OL-8 ring a bell?

TxRad, I did check, not 100 random stories but three lengthy ones (10 - 16 pages long) by different authors. Ignoring the first and final pages for obvious reasons, they worked out between 3,640 and 3,790, so of course I accept your figure. I do not accept sr71plt's figure of 4,000 because that was wrong, although his knowledge of e-publishing I do accept.

 

[TxRad]

And you did not when in a different thread some time ago you claimed that the avge Lit page was about 4,000 words, Mr "Pilot". By the way, does the designation OL-8 ring a bell?

TxRad, I did check, not 100 random stories but three lengthy ones (10 - 16 pages long) by different authors. Ignoring the first and final pages for obvious reasons, they worked out between 3,640 and 3,790, so of course I accept your figure. I do not accept sr71plt's figure of 4,000 because that was wrong, although his knowledge of e-publishing I do accept.

I don't remember Pilot using 4000. He has used 3750 in every post I've seen on the subject.

 

[sr71plt]

And you did not when in a different thread some time ago you claimed that the avge Lit page was about 4,000 words, Mr "Pilot". By the way, does the designation OL-8 ring a bell?

TxRad, I did check, not 100 random stories but three lengthy ones (10 - 16 pages long) by different authors. Ignoring the first and final pages for obvious reasons, they worked out between 3,640 and 3,790, so of course I accept your figure. I do not accept sr71plt's figure of 4,000 because that was wrong, although his knowledge of e-publishing I do accept.

I have consistently used and advised 3,750 words on average per Lit. page--and have done so from experience, not from taking anyone else's numbers. I have never used 4,000 words, and I think you're just making that up. And, Let's see, with NicoleZ at 3 entries posted to Literotica and me at 901 entries posted to Literotica, can you do the math on who has more experience in page count here?

And the answer to the novel/novella length was given just a week ago here. http://forum.literotica.com/showthread.php?t=1366716. I repeat that you would be better to spend more time learning how it works here at Literotica than pretending you are a Lit. expert and giving out disinformation.

 

[Bramblethorn]

I know there are those who claim that a Lit page is about 4,000 words, but they have gotten the balance between dialogue and info dumps wrong. ( )

First Lit page of your story "Finally, We Are One" comes to 3712 words, according to MS Word. Second page is 3770 words. Third page, 3777 words. Fourth page, 3740 words. (I stopped there but feel free to check the rest.)

That averages out at 3749.75, almost exactly the "3750 words" that other people have been telling you, and certainly qualifies as "about 4000 words".

This is the second time in a day that you've taken it upon yourself to "correct" AH posters on things that weren't actually wrong.