Time was when writing a book meant at least 60,000 words, and preferably 80,000. Publishers wouldn’t be prepared to put a book out unless it looked, well, substantial.

The good news for writers: you don’t need to write all those words anymore. With at least one publisher, Juggernaut, betting big on ebooks, and others also looking to at least dabble in the format, the 20,000-word manuscript is becoming hot property.

It’s not just ebooks, the novella and the monograph are also finding takers these days – not just in India, but globally. (Remember the 47-page book longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize this year?) Whether this is the sweet spot for an audience whose attention span is increasingly fractured will soon be verified.

For writers, this also means quicker completion, and shorter paths to being published. And even 20,000 words can make for a very rich book, like Clarice Lispector’s extraordinary Hour of the Star.