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| This double-pan balance scale shows three thick books, left, weigh the same as 11 slim books, right. Books became slimmer because readers prefer readable, short stories rather than thick, text-heavy books. / Courtesy of publisher Mimesis |
Young readers prefer shorter stories over text-heavy books
By Kwak Yeon-soo
For most readers, it isn't always easy to find time to read a thick 400-page novel while striking a balance between work, household duties and other social obligations.
Thus readers nowadays prefer stories in the minimalist mode over text-heavy stories because amid the bustling, stressful city life, reading is no longer a relaxing, enjoyable hobby.
With the influence of social media, young readers tend to disclose their reading habits or favorite books by posting pictures or excerpts from a book.
Rather than a source of quiet activity, reading is more about showing off how much they stack up books and check off arbitrary must-read book lists compared with others. In other words, how many books you've read has become an instrument through which you can be judged by others.
Following the emerging trend, short novels have moved out from the fringes of the publishing industry to offer they are as interesting and intriguing as longer novels. Likewise, booksellers are reporting a rise in popularity for short stories.
"Young people pick a fast-paced book for their short getaway or try to read a book during the weekends because they've grown tired of sensational news," said Kim Mi-jeong, editor at publisher Mimesis.
"As writers and publishers are desperate to grab readers' attention, we, the publishers, aim to diversify genres and forms of literature depending on different lengths."
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| This image shows palm-sized books comparable to the size of a smartphone. / Courtesy of publisher Mimesis |
Starting in June, publisher Mimesis has been rolling out its "Takeout series" of short-length novels. The company aims to publish 20 books by December. Just as people take out coffee, readers can pick a palm-sized book and go. To attract younger readers who are seeking novelty and uniqueness, novelists have teamed up with illustrators to add images to the literature.
"Novelists welcomed the idea of our proposal because they understand younger readers enjoy short yet intense novels that require less time to finish."
When asked if writers weren't concerned about being unable to convey their philosophy or serious message through short books, Kim said they are professionals, and so can articulate stories in a fleeting, subtle way.
Meanwhile, publisher Biche has recently published Haruki Murakami's short story "Birthday Girl" in book format. Given that seven or eight short stories were published in a collection format before, issuing a single short story is a changing trend in the publishing industry.
Furthermore, another publisher Walker has been issuing its "It's okay to be short" series since 2017, aimed at delivering the joy of finishing the book.
In a survey of 2,952 people in their 20s and 30s by JobKorea and Albamon ― a website for jobseekers ― 10.1 percent of respondents said they haven't read a single book in the past year. Approximately one third of the respondents (or 32.6 percent) answered they are not in the regular habit of reading books, according to the survey.
Jang Eun-su, a book critic and CEO of Editing Culture Lab, argues that short-length novels can encourage young people to read more books because they can finish a book quickly and feel less pressured about checking off a box on a list of must-reads.
"The upsurge at the moment in shorter books has a lot to do with the way we communicate on social media," Jang said. "In an era where upwardly mobile young consumers seek new experiences, short and illustrated books appear to be an attractive option."
The book critic also said the readers' preference for short-length-books is a universal thing. "Although the majority of best-selling books on Amazon have long page counts exceeding 300-pages, the number of short novels is on a steady rise," Jang said.
