Hatrack River Writers Workshop: Novella first?

This is topic Novella first? in forum Open Discussions About Writing at Hatrack River Writers Workshop.

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Posted by WouldBe (Member # 5682) on :

OSC first published Ender's Game as a novella; later, he expanded it to novel-length.

Is this a useful strategy for publication, even if you already have a full-length novel? That is, would it make sense to adapt a novel-length manuscript to novella length in the hope that a successful, published novella would entice publishers to consider the novel? Or is the opposite effect more likely?

The above question assumes, of course, that a good novella is easier to publish than a good novel. I have no clue about this.

Should I over-explain this some more?

Posted by Matt Lust (Member # 3031) on :

I think it only helps if one or all of the things that happened to OSC in the course of writing/selling his Ender's Game Novella.

these things are:

1) An editor likes it enough to recommend a re-write (especially an editor of Bova's stature)
2a) You as author are talented enough to re-write to editor's satisfaction
2b) Its in fact published in one of the big mags. In this case Analog
3) It wins the campbell award for best new author.

Other than that probably not.

[This message has been edited by Matt Lust (edited July 08, 2007).]

Posted by KayTi (Member # 5137) on :

I would imagine that unless you're writing for a YA or Children's lit audience, novella length may be harder to sell because the markets are fewer. I'm basing this off very little knowledge, so someone who knows more, by all means weigh in.

But, I can't remember the last time I picked up a book off the shelf at the bookstore and said "hey, novella!"

SF Magazines I believe are one of the main markets for the shorter length, as are the YA and Children's (there are definitions around for length for those two markets.)

Posted by Robert Nowall (Member # 2764) on :

Ah, but I do not know if "Ender's Game" is the first thing he wrote intending to send it to market.

Heinlein used to brag he sold the first thing he wrote and sent out---but more recent and more thorough research has revealed that the best term for that is a "lie."