Monday’s book planning tip for authors

I was surprised by the differences between Jim Collin’s new book, How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In, compared to his Good to Great, which I discussed in a recent blog post.

Although it’s as informative and well-written as the earlier book, and shares the same art direction on the cover as the earlier books, its page count and size reflects the changed economic environment.

Page count

Good to Great, published in 2001, contains 300 pages. Jim’s 2004 Built to Last,  published in 2004, contains 368 pages. The latest book, How the Mighty Fall, however, contains just 240 pages.

Size differences

The three books also differ in size:

• Good to Great measures 9.2 by 6.5  inches.
• Built to Last is about the same size, i.e., 9.3 by 6.5 inches.
• How the Mighty Fall, however, is significantly smaller; 7.8 by 5.3 inches.

The difference is not in content and style; it most noticeable if you place the newer book on top of the older books, or next to each other in a bookshelf.

Implications for authors

There’s nothing necessarily wrong with shorter, thinner books. Indeed, in today’s environment, there are definite advantages to smaller, shorter formats. There are significant advantages to books that don’t cost as much and can be read quicker.

The lesson is, once again, is that publishing success is not about the author’s and their preferences. Instead, it’s all about the readers and the publishers, and the realities of the environment in which books are published and read today.

Authors must monitor changes in reader and publisher preferences. Books must reflect the time and money investment expected of both publishers and readers. When category leading, “star authors” like Jim Collins write shorter books that immediately climb the best-seller lists, it’s time for everyone to pay attention.

Instead of sharing “everything” you know about your topic, perhaps you might consider sharing only the most important and actionable information–and stating it as clearly and concisely as possible.