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Words

  • 05-11-2012 3:22pm
    #1
    Rubecula
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,551 ✭✭✭


    If you write a novel for the first time and want to see if it is any good by sending it to a publisher. (or a number of publishers) How long (ie. number of words) would be about right? 100,000? 50,000? 10,000?

    I would hate to think it wasn't long enough, but be horrified to find it was too long and attracted no interest in the publisher reading it.


Comments

  • #2
    pickarooney
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 35,731 Mod ✭✭✭✭pickarooney


    The first three chapters is usually required. They might not read more than 500 though.


  • #3
    Rubecula
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,551 ✭✭✭Rubecula


    That is good information Pickarooney, thanks a lot.


  • #4
    Antilles
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,183 ✭✭✭Antilles


    Rubecula wrote: »
    If you write a novel for the first time and want to see if it is any good by sending it to a publisher. (or a number of publishers) How long (ie. number of words) would be about right? 100,000? 50,000? 10,000?

    Are you sure a publisher is the right place to send it? If you just want to know if its good, then surely there are better places to send it?


  • #5
    EileenG
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,775 ✭✭✭EileenG


    I'd second that. Post it here, or in some of the critique websites first. Once you've send something to a publisher and it's been rejected, you can't realistically send it back, not unless it's had a total rewrite. And most publishers send form rejections: "I'm sorry this does not fit our list at the moment, we wish you well in your writing career." So you have no way of knowing if it was a close miss or a pass-round-the-office-to-let-everyone-have-a-laugh miss


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