How Long Should Your Book or Content Be?

A common storytelling question I get is this: How long? 

More specifically:

• How long should my book / video / content be? 
• How long should it take to make it? 

Two slightly different questions; two slightly different answers. 

Today I’ll address the first question; in the next post I’ll address the second one. 

Here we go:

How long should my storytelling project be? 

Obviously, the answer to this is that it depends on your project, your audience, and you. 

If you want a specific answer to this question, my groundbreaking advice is (lol)... google it. There is plenty of wisdom to be found on how to create compelling videos, the ideal word count for a memoir, and so on. 

Having said that, rules are made to be broken. I have clients who can hold an audience’s attention for far longer than they reasonably “should” simply because of their personal style. I’ve helped brands build their reputation on long form content that ignores what everyone tells you about short attention spans. And I myself skip tons of things that marketing experts say you “should” do.

So, with that in mind, how do you figure out what works for you?  

Here’s my advice: your story should be as long as it needs to be, and no longer. 

Now, that might sound annoyingly vague. But here’s what I mean:

Part of a storyteller’s job is to determine what needs to be said, right now, in this specific moment, to this specific audience. 

That means it’s also your job to figure out what doesn’t need to be said. 

As you are planning and/or reviewing your work, you must consider:

• What ideas or information aren’t entirely necessary for this particular project?
• What words can I cut down on? Is there a shorter, more concise way to make the point?
• What stories can I let go of? Do I really need each of these anecdotes or metaphors?

When you are able to zero in on exactly what your audience needs to know and hear — the precise words you need to use to tell this story, to this group of people, in this particular situation — you will make your content more impactful, no matter its exact length. 

That might mean a 30 second video, it might mean a day-long workshop, it might mean a 60,000 word book. It’s all context-specific.

Now, a word of warning on this: 

Many people interpret this advice to mean cut out the “fluff”. They trim back the personal stories, the human details, the humor, or the metaphors that actually have the potential to bring the story to life. 

Editing doesn’t mean you strip everything back to just the information, the cold facts. 

In fact, that personal story you tell could be the very thing that people remember, that brings everything else to life.

Editing wisely means you think carefully about what you want to communicate. It means you don’t let yourself get sidetracked by extra ideas or superfluous words. 

You say exactly what needs to be said, in the way it needs to be said. Nothing more, nothing less. 

PS. If you’re wondering how long your project should take, stay tuned — I’ll answer that in the next post.