- Are you writing a book, wondering if your chapters
are too long or too short?
If you're wondering if your book chapter size
is optimal, then this video is for you.
(upbeat music)
Hey, there I'm Julie the Book Broad,
founder of a fabulous self-publishing services firm,
Book Launchers.
When you work with us,
we'll pair you with a kind, compassionate,
and experienced book coach or professional writer,
so you'll get personalized support
with the challenge of, "How should I structure
each chapter?" and, "How big should each chapter be?"
And it's one of those things
that really is different for every book.
There isn't a right or a wrong.
And I know that can be good and bad news.
Chapters are important, though.
They divide the body text into more consumable bits.
Some people might not call them chapters,
but, ultimately, whether you have parts
or sections or pieces, you're breaking your book up.
A chapter can be really long or super short.
And that's where it can be a struggle for a new author.
Ultimately, your chapter should be long enough
to get the point across for that chapter,
but short enough that you have kept the interest
of the reader the entire way.
We're all about #noboringbooks at Book Launchers, see?
We even put it on a T-shirt.
And nothing says boring like a chapter
that takes a reader seven sittings to get through.
So we really don't want that.
But cutting a topic off just to hit a word count
for a chapter won't work either.
That's why it can be easier
to have that outsider perspective
guiding you through chapter creation.
That's also something that a content editor
or a developmental editor will address
in your manuscript as well.
Now, while I don't think you have to stick
to similar chapter sizes in your book,
you do wanna consider the chapter format
and keep that consistent.
For example, if you're going to start with an epigraph,
lead with a story, and then teach a lesson,
that's the structure of how each
of your chapters should flow.
Let's look at a couple examples.
Raj Sundarson's book, The DAP Strategy, follows the format
of teaching a concept and ending the chapter
with the DAP to-dos.
In sink or swimwear, Jennifer Weisman starts each chapter
with a different story, taking you through the journey
of becoming an entrepreneur in the fashion industry
and surviving that cutthroat industry at the same time
as she dealt with PTSD.
Each chapter ends with a personal picture related
to that chapter story.
Guy Blaise's book, Love Like the French,
sets each chapter up the same way,
a letter sent to him and then his response follow.
And it's all inspired by the lessons he learned
from his maternal French grandmother
on relationships and love.
Every chapter ends with a quote, which is a French proverb,
and he shares it in French and English, like this one.
Letters is what he calls his chapters.
A book you leave without extracting something from it
is a book you haven't read.
In each of these books, chapter lengths vary.
Some of Guy's chapters are quite short,
probably less than 1500 words,
while some of Raj's chapters are probably
more than 5,000 words.
So if you're looking for a typical nonfiction book
chapter size range, it's 2,500 to 5,500 words.
And the number of chapters in a typical book are 10 to 20,
but there's examples on every end of the spectrum.
And you can look at what Seth Godin
and Steven Pressfield have done.
Their chapters are super short and there's tons of them.
So rather than placing your focus on chapter size,
I recommend focus on writing that makes a reader want
to keep reading no matter how long your chapter is.
Have a good pace.
Use those chapters to break up the information
into digestible chunks.
Make a point and have the end of the chapter
be a place where there's a natural reflection point
on what was just shared or learned.
Shorter chapters can make for easier reading,
so I generally would lean towards shorter than longer.
But again, not at the expense of important information.
Your chapter should be as long as it takes
to convey the story or the message of the story
or the point that you're teaching in that chapter.
Then you would send it to an editor,
who will hopefully help tighten it up
if that's what's needed.
If you're telling a story in your chapter,
focus on the reader with that story.
What do they need to know?
Are you telling the story with emotion
and descriptive words that bring your reader
into the moment with you,
like saying the temperature had risen
and the sweat was starting to form on my lower back,
making me feel sticky?
Or are you saying it was feeling hot in the room?
(crickets chirps) You can see
how those are very different.
How you write is going to impact
how long a chapter can feel to a reader.
And that's really the question you need to ask yourself.
"How long will this chapter feel to my reader?"
If you have longer chapters, breaking up the chapter content
with some catchy, intriguing, or leading subheadings
can make a world of difference to a reader as well.
Great subheadings can also serve to reengage that reader
that might just start skimming your content.
A great subheading can catch their eye
and suck them back in to reading your words.
Again, there isn't one way to write a chapter
and there isn't one length to stick to.
If you're writing right now, my advice is don't sweat it.
Get the content outta your head, onto the page,
and let a developmental editor dive in
and help you figure out what chapters need to be broken up,
where you need more material,
and even what order those chapters should go in
for the the best flow.
We have an awesome crew of #noboringbooks trained
developmental editors on our team.
So reach out to us at booklaunchers.com/apply
to set up a call and talk about
how we can help you and your manuscript.
And if you're looking for more tips
to write a page turning book,
this video is gonna give you some awesome writing techniques
for non-fiction.
Or if you're now wondering what a developmental editor does,
well, this is a perfect video for you.
Both are a guaranteed good watch, if I say so myself,
and frankly, I'd love to see you over there.
So go ahead, click on over. I'm waiting.