Why Does Word Count Matter?

It’s a common question, and not one that can be easily answered, if at all, but I’ll attempt to offer at least some degree of clarification. However, it must be kept in mind
that much of what is written in this article will be nugatory if in ten years almost every
book is published in an E-book format.

The First Issue to Consider is if a Writer is Presently Unpublished

Previously unpublished authors seem to be scrutinized much more closely than well- known writers with an established readership. A 150,000 word book by an unknown has
one obvious thing going against it from the outset, and this is the cost to publish the book
if it’s twice the size of an average work in the same genre. This would likely entail a higher price point, and the immediate concern that the buying public will be reluctant to pay more for a book by someone who is heretofore unknown. (With an E-book, this of course is a non-issue.)

So what about the Previously Published Writer?

This seems to be what causes the most confusion. Some people might love to read Joe Jones so much that every word is a trip to Nirvana and therefore the more text the merrier. Also, publishers might be reluctant to come down too hard on their revenue producing writers and consequently they leave their overwriting alone. Or, simply, publishers aren’t editing their successful writers’ works, and what is submitted is essentially what is going to be put into print.

There are some Quantifiable Answers

And these relate to genre. In Literature, for example, how can any book be too expansive? Yet, in the Police Thriller world, there is a model in the 100,000 word range,
give or take 10,000 words either way, that seems to work best. Perhaps the rationale is
a ten-hour or so read for the average individual taking part in a round trip, coast-to-coast flight. This might be a silly analogy to some, but look at 80% of the novels in an airport bookstore and get back to me if you think I’m altogether wrong.

Asking about Word Count is Normal

I also find myself looking at word count whenever someone presents me with a novel
to edit. And there is good reason. If a writer has a 250,000 word Science Fiction first draft,
I know right away this is not the project for me. On the other hand, if someone has a work of Commercial Fiction that is 125,000 words, and even though I can almost always assume the novel is going to be 25,000-35,000 words too long, it’s something I can generally handle.

Don’t be Bunged Out by Word Count

Some of the word count hoopla is just that, in my opinion. I remember an absurd situation a dozen years ago that was the result of sending a manuscript of mine, at
the request of my editor at the time, to a very well-known agent. My story comprised 78,000 words and contained a romantic element that was significant to one of the story’s developmental arcs. The august agent informed me that a novel needed to be in the 120,000 word range to enable a “juicy enough romance to develop.” Go figure.

The bottom line is that nothing is more subjective than word count, but if you’re trying
to become published for the first time, I think you’ll find it to be a good idea to try to fit
your story within the current parameters for the genre in which you write.

Share on Facebook

Digg

Stumble Upon

Del.icio.us

Buzz