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writing a novel

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  • 11-11-2013 2:21pm
    #1
    robbieryan85
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭


    Hi All

    I'm currently writing my first novel. I've read that the average word count should come to 80k and a novella's word count should be under 40k. I haven't finished mine yet but I'm pretty sure it'll fall in between. Probably from 50-60k. It would be a real struggle to reach 80k because the story is only set across three days.

    Has anyone any tips? Is there any market at all for a book of 50k words? Would any publisher consider one so short? Any tips on where a first time writer could send his work? Thanks


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


    With e-publishing, length is not a big issue. You can certainly find a home for a 50k novel as an e-book. In fact, it's not impossible as a print book, just a bit more difficult, and it does depend on the genre.

    What type of book are you writing?

    I'd finish the whole book before you start worrying about word length.

    As for publisher, there are several who accept direct submissions, but they are all thinking in terms of finding a story which will sell. Not in starting you on your career as a writer. If your book is good, they'll take it.


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    #3
    robbieryan85
    Registered Users Posts: 5 ✭robbieryan85


    thanks for the advice. it is a fictional crime-caper story, although there are elements of comedy and romance in it as there are quite a few characters involved. it was a screenplay. i wrote three drafts of it as a script but it's a lot tougher writing it as a novel!! i've been told it was a good script by lecturers and even a film company i sent it too a while ago, but it was way out of their budget, hopefully im doing a good job changing it as it's my first attempt :)


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    #4
    baller06
    Registered Users Posts: 8 ✭baller06


    Hi there. Did you ever finish your novel? I'm just starting out on mine, I'm in the planning phase at the minute so I'll see how it progresses. My idea is to have it planned out to the greatest extent possible before I start writing so that I will feel like it has a direction and I don't end up writing blind too much. Any tips from your experience?


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    #5
    Del.Monte
    Registered Users Posts: 12,363 ✭✭✭✭Del.Monte


    baller06 wrote: »
    Hi there. Did you ever finish your novel? I'm just starting out on mine, I'm in the planning phase at the minute so I'll see how it progresses. My idea is to have it planned out to the greatest extent possible before I start writing so that I will feel like it has a direction and I don't end up writing blind too much. Any tips from your experience?

    OP hasn't been on Boards since June 2014 so is unlikely to see your question.

    ****



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    #6
    SEANoftheDEAD
    Registered Users Posts: 635 ✭✭✭SEANoftheDEAD


    I always use this for a general guide to the word count question.

    From Wiki...

    The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America specifies word lengths for each category of its Nebula award categories:
    Classification Word count
    Novel     40,000 words or over [URL="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
    Novella"]
    Novella[/URL] 17,500 to 39,999 words
    Novelette     7,500 to 17,499 words
    Short story     under 7,500 words

    Animal Farm by George Orwell is only 112 pages also and that is the classic example of a novella in my opinion.


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    #7
    ludite
    Registered Users Posts: 48 ✭ludite


    robbieryan85 wrote: »
    Hi All

    I'm currently writing my first novel. I've read that the average word count should come to 80k and a novella's word count should be under 40k. I haven't finished mine yet but I'm pretty sure it'll fall in between. Probably from 50-60k. It would be a real struggle to reach 80k because the story is only set across three days.

    Has anyone any tips? Is there any market at all for a book of 50k words? Would any publisher consider one so short? Any tips on where a first time writer could send his work? Thanks

    It's like in college when you feel you need to make the word count... careful not to lessen the book by trying to beef up the wordcount


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    #8
    km85264
    Registered Users Posts: 146 ✭✭km85264


    The advice I've heard from publishers is to aim at 80k. 90k is alright, 100k is a stretch unless it's a genre that tolerates long books such as fantasy/sci fi. 70k is survivable but they'll rarely look at books shorter than that.
    About ten years ago I sat down and wrote a novel using exactly as many words as I felt were necessary to tell a story. It came to 45k. I wrote to several agencies but they were not interested in something that short, so I rewrote it to twice that length. I got one publisher to read it but they said the plot was too weak, which it was. The story demanded brevity. Hey ho!
    In truth, you can get away with much shorter works, I've read plenty, but you have to have something truly extraordinary to get a publisher's attention for a first novel.


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