June 14, 2026
Don’t worry about page count
A few days ago, I sent an email asking questions about the last business/self-help book you read.
(If you were one of the 60+ people who replied, thank you for your feedback! I read every message and they were all both thoughtful and interesting!)
A few patterns surfaced that I think will be useful to you if you’re thinking about creating long-form content based on your expertise.
Important caveat:
Less than 1% of the list replied, so this is not necessarily representative of the entire list, much less the overall market for prescriptive non-fiction books.
But still... I think the replies were useful.
A few patterns showed up repeatedly. Here they are:
- People still read business books.
- Several people mentioned books they had not finished, but still found useful.
- Print was surprisingly popular for serious reading because it is easier to mark up, remember, and revisit.
- Audio was mixed. Some people love it. Others said they do not retain business books well that way.
- The clearest signal was about fluff. People praised books that were direct, practical, and easy to apply. They complained about repetition, filler, too much backstory, and one useful idea stretched across too many pages.
Here’s the thing...
Conventional wisdom says a business book needs to feel substantial.
Enough pages to justify the price.
Enough pages to look serious.
Enough pages to feel like a real book.
Okay, maybe...
But a 300-page book that keeps repeating the same idea over and over isn’t going to get shared.
On the other hand, an 80-page field guide that readers review regularly IS going to get shared.
So...
Don’t worry about page count.
Worry about ROI.
Yours,
—J