How many pages does a book have to contain in order to be considered a novel? This is a trick question. It can be five hundred, three hundred, or two hundred pages long or less and still be a novel. Writers, agents, and publishers determine the category of a story or book by the word count. Short stories range from 1500 to 30,000 words, novellas from 30,000 to 50,000 words, and novels contain more than 50,000 words. Through a little research, I found that mysteries generally range from 70,000 to 90,000 words. Page counts vary due to the number of words, the size of the text, and the trim size (height and width) of the book.
     Going strictly by word count, my books are novels. When I look at the books on my shelves written by my favorite authors, my first two books look so puny. The other novels around them have thick spines and contain over three hundred pages. One of these days, I might also have that much to write in order to tell a good story. Until then, my books will never take up much space in your library.
     Ripped is about twenty pages shorter than my first book, but that doesn't mean anyone reading it will be getting ripped off. No, I'm not going backwards because I can't find enough to say to fill up the extra pages. I learned in college that it doesn't matter how many words you use as long as you get your message across to whoever reads the document or book. I feel that's exactly what I do in the second novel.
     I'll always enjoy The Search for Truth because it was my first novel and I think it's a great story. When I look at my manuscript for Ripped, I think it's even more exciting than The Search for Truth. In fewer words and pages, I present what I believe is an action packed and intriguing mystery. Perhaps the main reason for the lower page count is that Detective Jake and his team are able to close the case in less time than it took them to solve the case presented in the first book.
     Will the next book be longer or shorter? Right now, it seems like it will have at least as many pages as book one. Such details don't concern me while I'm writing. It's enough work to develop the plot and characters and keep the story moving from one page to the next. As long as the readers continue to enjoy my books, I'll continue to allow the actions and words of the characters to control the page count. I'll write with my motto in mind ... less is more as long as the story gets told.