Novellas

I have just begun working on a novella but I am not sure what exactly counts as a novella. I read somewhere that a novella is between 13,000 and 40,000 words, or 60 to 130 pages. Some classic novellas:
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Are the word counts and page numbers correct? Does anyone know?
Is there still a market for the novella in today's literary business?
I would appreciate any and all information on this. Thank you!

The novella is my favorite format, both for writing and reading. Most novels could be shortened considerably, too many authors pad their work with needless exposition and detail. The novella is slimmed down, lean and mean, like one of those scrappy middleweight boxers who can take your head off with either hand.

I think your page count estimate is about right--the numbers vary. I think there's a fine line between a novella and short novel. Conrad wrote some short novels/long novellas too.

RIGHTEOUS BLOOD (my last book) was composed of two novellas, one about 90 pages, the other about 120. It was a format favored by the publisher but he might be a rarity.

Because of their length, the novella format might not be right for most fiction markets, unless they publish it as a serial (2 or three parts). I suppose it depends on the genre. If I'm not mistaken, FANTASY & SCIENCE FICTION (does Gordon Van Gelder still edit there?) is not averse to publishing novellas.

I'm one of those snarky writers who says write something the length it's meant to be and to Hell with the marketplace, if it's a good enough piece you'll find a home for it, though it might take some time and patience.

It's a beautiful, challenging format, good luck with completing your novella...

http://www.sfwa.org/awards/faq.htm#6

"What's the definition of a "novella," "novelette," etc.?
A: For the purposes of the Nebula Awards, the categories are defined as follows:
Novel — 40,000 words or more
Novella — 17,500–39,999 words
Novelette — 7,500–17,499 words
Short Story — 7,499 words or fewer
Script — a professionally produced audio, radio, television, motion picture, multimedia, or theatrical script"

No idea how "official" that is really but it's a start.

If that's the criteria for a short story, then I'm always too gabby... ;)

Yeah, but no one uses the term 'novelette'. I've never heard it before now, anyway. 10K is either a long short story or a short novella, and 40K is a REAL short novel--or a real long novella. Obviously we need some stricter classification, no?

I've sold several novellas, but they were all by request of the publisher and were meant to be parts of collections--I've appeared in several four-author anthologies wherein each of us wrote 15-20,000 worders. I've never sold one to a magazine, and I've pretty much given up trying. So my 20,000-word voodoo/giant cockroach opus is just gonna have to wait for a suitable market to open up.

It might be a long wait...

Now, see, maybe it's just me but I think the world is dying to read a voodoo cockroach story. I just finished reading a book called JIM GIRAFFE (posted the only lonely review it got on Amazon) about a ghost giraffe who basically destroys a man's life.

Original concepts are still out there and I'm always on the lookout for more. Hang on to that story, John, it sounds golden...

If what you're writing is good it won't matter how long or short it is. Sandra Cisneros's The House On Mango Street is 110-pages and 35,000 words, but it's wonderful and well-respected.

Don't worry about word count. Concentrate on making the words you choose good!