So is there a standard length that is acceptable?

[Rhonda R. Carpenter]

Hello Mentors,
Silly beginner questions here. As I go deeper into recording all of the chapters of my book. I am finding that they vary in length dramatically. What is an acceptable length per download? I have listened to many different audio books and it seems they vary a great deal. I know as a listener if the pod cast is too short I feel disappointment if there is not a next episode to follow it and no matter the length I will complete one download even if it runs over 45 minutes.

So is there a standard length that is acceptable?

Thanks Rhonda
Who is now 12 chapters in to the book.

[Mike Sharpe]

Nathan Lowell's books usually around the 30Min Per episode, this is partly as he does 5000 words to each episode.. Stated here: http://community.podiobooks.com/group/mentorshipprogram/forum/topic...

I find 30 minutes are nice enough chunk.. It's almost the same amount of time that I have on the walk home. (Yes, I walk over 1½ miles, But I do my best writing on there when I'm listen to Music. )

Tee Morris cuts his chapters up at convenient Points in MOREVI: Remastered.

My chapters? I'd be pushing it to get 5 Minutes with some of mine. (Yeah, They're short).

[Rhonda R. Carpenter]

I have listened to all of Nathan's posted work and I like his lengths.

Wow 5 minutes. That is short. is that an upload or are you combining them?
Thanks for the input.

Rhonda

[Mike Sharpe]

It going to be combined.. But then I'm still writing it... The shortest is at the moment is 176 words.. And I like it, The Librarian does a very good job of filling on a lot of back story..

[Rhonda R. Carpenter]

Hi Mike,
I have started looking at episodes. Some will be one chapter and others more. I should be sending the first one in this week. Thanks for the tips.

I got to a point last night where I had a 17 minute chapter and when I added the next one it pushed it to 45 and change with the outro. I think I can do 45 safely but I wouldn't want it to be much longer than that.

R

[P.G. Holyfield]

There is no written law, of course, but most podcast novelists will try to have episodes from 20-40 minutes in length. The theory that makes the most sense to me: you want your episode to last a person's commute to work.

I have had episodes with two chapters. I have also split chapters into two episodes (at logical break points... don't break it up if it will upset the listener because it just ... ends :-) ).

Most of my episodes are at around 20-25 minutes. 2800 to 3500 words is a good range for this.

[Rhonda R. Carpenter]

Thank PG,
This is a good explanation of what I was asking. I know my husband is an audio book freak but he has a 3 hour commute a day and he will get home and sit our front so he is not breaking up the story at a undesirable part. So I would likely be fine even if I had 3 chapters that met the 29 minute mark or slightly above.

Thanks again,
Rhonda

[Dan Sawyer]

My book's structure is unusual, as it has 4 parts, the shortest of which is 70 pages and the longest of which is 180. If I broke it up by "chapter" I'd be dead. So I decided, based on my experience with Sculpting God, that I should limit my episodes to no more than 6500 words and no less than 4000. With that in mind, I went through and broke the book up into episodes, each of which ends on a cliffhanger - so far, that strategy is working well. As fro titling my episodes, I'm just giving them sequential numbers and reading the new section titles in as I get to them.

For what it's worth!

[Rhonda R. Carpenter]

Dan your picture is scary!!! I love it!

No this makes perfect sense. It seems the more I get into the recording the more I am finding that this will not be released in chapters but in episodes. So that is cool every chapter has a hook (some more intense than others but hooks none the less) so as long as I don't end an episode in the middle of a chapter I should be fine.

Hmmm for what it's worth... I will give you a dollar! wink
Rhonda

[Dan Sawyer]

I'll forgo the dollar if you give my book a listen and tell your friends ;-)
www.jdsawyer.net - top of the right hand column. Antithesis, book 1.

[Rhonda R. Carpenter]

Done deal do you have a promo? I will put it up on the site. I seem to be getting a ton of hits these days. The close the book is to hard cover release the higher the numbers jump. Happy to promo your work.
R

[Dan Sawyer]

Certainly . There's one preview on the feed now. I'll ge releasing another one this weekend sometime, as the one currently on the feed was a buzz builder.

Likewise, I'm happy to play your promo if you've got one. Thanks!

[Rhonda R. Carpenter]

I will snag the new one when you have it up, bookmarked your site and listened to a touch of it sounds scary. Turned my youngest onto it. The genera is right up his alley. As for my promo, yup got one. It is under the podcast tab at the top of Rhondacarpenter.com. The new site is currently being developed so everything is landing there at the moment. Art work, for the love of god—I need artwork! Sorry, broke down there for a sec.
So I will snag it.
R