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Why Word Count
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Interesting. You might be the first author that uses word count to reign themselves in. Most writers I've come across feel the urge to raise that number as much as possible.
I also didn't consider that different genres lend themselves to different word counts. Could you send me a link to that research?
Thanks!
Gamal

I've read research on different sites. I know that one report was on the SFWA. I can't really remember where the rest have been.
I do think that some authors (probably to compete with the 99 cent market) have been releasing shorter and shorter stories and calling them novels. This is a cheat to the consumers, in my humble opinion. If your story is just right at 30,000 words, then great, but list it as a novella, not a novel. Transparancy for the consumers is very important. They don't know to look at word length or metadata to determine if they are being ripped off. The more they get burned by indie authors, the less they will give other indie authors a try.


I think you ladies just gave me the idea for my next essay. Next week I plan on looking at the relationship between the length of a manuscript and its sale price.
Stay tuned...

It is during the editing and revision that I take into consideration of the overall word count. Especially if I'm working within a genre that has a typical word count expected for a single body of work. Though I am generally fine with a count that falls a little below or exceeds the norms, as long as I feel that the prose is tight and the story flows well. Obvious exceptions are when trying to publish where there is a strict word limit to qualify.

I..."
I think I have a similar process. The completion of a scene for me carries more weight than the accumulation of words. It gives me the feeling that the story is progressing.
Question: how do you know what genres are normal for a specific genre?
Thanks for the input.
Gamal
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