I grew up assuming publishers and readers wanted lengthy books. I thought more was better, but I couldn't have been more wrong!
Your word count matters for the following two reasons:
cost of production and reader expectation.
When word counts reach over 100,000--the cost to produce the book rises considerably, and this forces publishers to charge higher than average prices. This can not only reduce sales, it can also prevent your book from being traditionally published at all.
If you self-publish and you upload your book to a POD printer like Createspace, then you're already aware that you must charge readers more for a thick book than for a thin book (even if your thin book is better).
An exception is epic/high-concept fantasy. Book lengths of 90,000 and up are not only acceptable, they are expected. World building and epic plots require a lot of words and readers are willing to pay for them!
Humans are creatures of habit and are used to certain genres being a certain length. Readers are as likely to shy away from a too short book as they are from a too long book. Think Goldilocks--you want to be just right!
Here is a list of average fiction book lengths per genre. These are suggestions not rules, there is wiggle room--but if you follow these guidelines, at least your book won't be rejected, passed over, or over-priced for something as silly as the word count!
Common Fiction Word Counts By Genre
Board books--0 to 100 words
Picture books--50 to 1,000 words
Early-Readers--200 to 3,500 words
Chapter books--4,000 to 10,000 words
Middle-Grade--25,000 to 45,000 words
Upper Middle-Grade--45,000-60,000 words (new category!)
Upper Middle-Grade--45,000-60,000 words (new category!)
Young Adult--45,000 to 75,000 words
Commercial fiction--up to 90,000 words
High Fantasy up to 120,000 words (100,000 is safer if you're unknown)
I think I tend to hit my word counts because my primary focus is on advancing the plot. I would rather be in the position of adding relevant details, than cutting beloved prose. If your book has a blistering pace and it's getting long--maybe you could break it into two books, or three! The key is not to alienate a reader or lose a publishing deal because of an out of whack word count. Instead, give your story its best chance to succeed!
Jennifer Lynn Alvarez
This is awesome, i think this is going to help me when finishing my book. Do you mind if i link this on Rising Karma Press, http://www.risingkarma.net ?
ReplyDeleteSure you can and thanks for reading!!
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