2006-06-15 19:50:56 · 11 answers · asked by Robbie B 3 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Books & Authors
Sorry What IS THE...
2006-06-15 23:26:40 · update #1
Hi there. I can tell you from 20+ years experience that most publishers won't consider a manuscript worth reading unless it has at least 40,000 words. Why? Because it needs a good beginning, a mild climax about a third of the way, which then builds to a major climax at the end. It's hard to write any worthwhile story and get all three parts into it with fewer than 40K words.
Also, many publishers now are accepting LONGER manuscripts, thanks in part to H.Potter's success. My latest hard cover release is 126,000 words, which seemed long when I wrote it, but the publisher wanted an epic style book and that's why they bought it. So, to answer your question, think longer rather than shorter. The current average for published fiction is about 80,000 words for novels, I believe.
Good luck with your writing!
Jon Baxley
Author, editor, proofreader and ghost writer
THE SCYTHIAN STONE (eBook fantasy adventure)
THE BLACKGLOOM BOUNTY (hard cover and eBook medieval fantasy epic)
*****
2006-06-16 00:30:04 · answer #1 · answered by FiveStarAuthor 4 · 6⤊ 1⤋
Average Book Word Count
2016-12-31 04:40:19 · answer #2 · answered by kocaj 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This Site Might Help You.
RE:
What average word count for a book?
2015-08-13 04:08:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm 55 years of age and writing a book which covers 7 years, from 2001 until 2007, of my life. I'm a retired (Ministry of Defence) police officer and was seconded to the United Nation Mission in Kosovo on three occasions.
During that period of time I experienced many extraordinary events and also made a life changing decision.
My question is this. How much time should I spent writing about my early life and my life as a police officer whilst working in the UK?
Should I write about my life before becoming a police officer. I joined the MDP when I was 31?
Any other assistance on writing a memoir would be greatly appreciated.
2013-11-26 02:45:23 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There is no average. Produce a great book and it will get published. 'Breakfast at Tiffanys' Truman Capote, 35,000; 'The Great Gatsby' F Scott Fitzgerald, 55,000; 'The Optimist's Daughter', Eudora Welty, 40,000; 'The Naked and the Dead', Norman Mailer, 220,000; 'Accordian Crimes' Annie Proulx, 150,000. I've had 16 published in 20 years, they all came in at the same count as Ms Proulx; but I doubt I shall ever end up with as many awards.
2006-06-19 09:40:43 · answer #5 · answered by Alan S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Actually books are generally about 100,000 words for a full novel in mass market paperback. This ends up being around 350 to 400 pages, depending on the typeset and spacing.
2006-06-15 22:54:27 · answer #6 · answered by Ashley 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's a little bit like saying how heavy is the average rock. There is a huge variety out there
2006-06-15 23:09:01 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
50,000 words = roughly 200 pages. That's kind of the bare minimum for a novel. Most novels extend further than that - I think War and Peace is something like 300,000+ words or something like that - pretty crazy methinks.
2006-06-16 06:24:11 · answer #8 · answered by crono37 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Novels average between 80,000 and 120,000 words. However huge James Mitchner/Diana Gabaldon style epics are much, much longer.
2006-06-16 04:50:29 · answer #9 · answered by poohba 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2017-02-20 00:02:37 · answer #10 · answered by Eronita 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋