For the author, one has to acknowledge that the history of literatures is filled with examples of masterful and influential writing that has come under the format of the novella. It is a genre that sustains literature. And therefore writers should be encouraged to plug into that history and be a part of its continuous advancement. On a practical level, the novella affords the author the opportunity to experiment with style and content without investing too much time on any one project. It takes much less time to finish and edit a novella. It creates the possibility of quick publication.
For the publisher, it is cost effective and can be priced accordingly. It also lends itself much better to E-publishing. It allows a publisher to produce more authors with a greater diversity of narratives. It is the perfect length to use as a teaching tool for literary studies and that translates into more sales. Filmmakers like to mine novellas for film ideas, which can be another revenue stream.
In defending the novella another critic said that, “Novellas require an intelligent author and an intelligent reader to appreciate the power of brevity.” To that I might add that the novella also requires intelligent editors, publishers, booksellers, and finally intelligent reviewers. As such, it is imperative that those of us who love the genre and at Quattro Books we do love the genre, that we drag the novella screaming and kicking out of that Canadian closet and position it front and centre in our dialogue about Canadian Literature.
Very interesting and thorough article. I enjoy reading novellas!