Word Count too low?

privatepook · Apr 24, 2008

I just recently finished a new novel. It's a YA dark fantasy (at least I think it is) and unfortunately it is only clocking in at about 36K words. My previous work has been around 90k, so it feels strange to have such a short novel this time.

I know that everyone answers differently when it comes to word count guidelines, but I just wanted to know if anyone has an opinion on whether a word count this low will hurt the novel, or perhaps I should call it a novella, when it comes to seeking representation. I can pad it out in the revising process, but I don't want to do that if it's not necessary.

Claudia Gray · Apr 24, 2008

Although word counts on published work vary, my experience suggests that 36K is probably too short even in YA. Definitely don't pad it out for word count's sake, but maybe ask yourself if there's more story there to tell.

Willowmound · Apr 24, 2008

Novella?

Straka · Apr 24, 2008

Add a few subplots and keep trucking. There is most likely some themes that you could further develop with the addition of a character.

James D. Macdonald · Apr 24, 2008

Word Count too low? Add plot.

Bourgeois Nerd · Apr 24, 2008

This brings up a good question - when is a word count too low and what is the difference between a novel and a novella? Is it word count or something else?

It seems that novels in the first half of the 20th century were shorter than they are today. The Great Gatsby, many of Hemingway's works, some Dos Passos and so on. Has anyone else noticed this?

Danalynn · Apr 24, 2008

Generally speaking, MOST YA novels today average around 40,000 to 55,000 words. You're not far off with your 36K. I agree with Strake. Add a subplot/character, and keep trucking.

Phaeal · Apr 24, 2008

Bourgeois Nerd said:
This brings up a good question - when is a word count too low and what is the difference between a novel and a novella? Is it word count or something else?

It seems that novels in the first half of the 20th century were shorter than they are today. The Great Gatsby, many of Hemingway's works, some Dos Passos and so on. Has anyone else noticed this?

The difference is length. I can never remember the range for the novelette versus the range for the novella, which probably varies from authority to authority.

Charlie Horse · Apr 24, 2008

Your not that far off. Shouldn't be hard to push it to 40k.

Cat Scratch · Apr 24, 2008

I agree, see if you can add a subplot or delve deeper into one of your marginal characters.

a_sharp · Apr 24, 2008

Agree with the subplot suggestions, but I would also suggest taking a look at your pace, the build-up to climax. Maybe it's rushed? Or you may have left out some good story potential that would add to the tension. Also check your characterization to make sure your protag and mains are fully developed.

yttar · Apr 24, 2008

YA author Amelia Atwater-Rhodes' first book was only 25,000 words. But then she was also 13 when she wrote it and 14 or 15 when it got published. Her later books have gotten longer, but stay between 50,000 and 60,000 words.

Yttar

James D. Macdonald · Apr 25, 2008

Who determines commercial word count? The readers. What are they willing to buy? They say, "If I'm going to lay down $X, I want a book thiiiiiis long."

LilliCray · Apr 25, 2008

I think SFWA has a specific word count assigned to novelettes, novellas, and novels. Obviously it would vary depending on who's judging the length. I'd say something else, but I'd just be repeating everyone else in this thread...

James D. Macdonald said:
Who determines commercial word count? The readers. What are they willing to buy? They say, "If I'm going to lay down $X, I want a book thiiiiiis long."

...or, in the case of my friends, "I want a book thiiiiiiis short." Seriously. I'm surprised any of them could get through the first Harry Potter book... [/gripe]

KTC · Apr 25, 2008

Sometimes the bus stops at that count. I experienced this earlier this year. Very frustrating. I tried so many different things to pump up the volume and was unhappy with all. I hope you find a way to get it up there... I didn't.

Exir · Apr 25, 2008

If you can, try to develop things more fully, add in a subplot or two.

However, if you CAN'T bring up the word count without sacrificing the story, then leave it as it is. 36,000 is a tougher sale for YA than you might want it to be, but no agent will dismiss the manuscript solely because of its shorter length. They'd prefer a short, well written story than a longer but obviously forced story.

Bruzilla · Apr 26, 2008

James D. Macdonald said:
Who determines commercial word count? The readers. What are they willing to buy? They say, "If I'm going to lay down $X, I want a book thiiiiiis long."

I know that's how I feel. If I'm paying $6 to $25 or more for a book, I want it last longer than a few hours of reading.

Bourgeois Nerd · Apr 26, 2008

I'm going to play devil's advocate here and ask why people think longer or bigger is better? That isn't necessarily so for many things in life, like houses and cars. And some of the best books I've ever read took me either 4-6 hours to read or a few days depending on how much time I had to give them.

Recently, I plowed through this history book that normally would have taken me a week to read. I found it so fascinating that I went through it in two days at intervals of 7 hours each (after family went to bed).

I say all of this because I'm worried that my word count isn't 'high' enough - 45,000 words for a literary novel. I think that maybe the genre can determine how fast or slow you go and also the reader's time. When you have a kid, it's veeery hard to carve out time to read straight through. God, no wonder my dad spent so many hours on the can when I was growing up! He was trying to read without me or my sister bothering him. Poor man, now I know how he feels.

Shady Lane · Apr 26, 2008

I got offers on my YAs that were 30K and 35K. Take that for what it's worth...

Rattus · Apr 27, 2008

There's some good advice here. I too, have written a couple of YA novels, both under the 40,000 word mark. I have been busy editing and doing re-writes. I believe more research would also help. I was recently told with one of them, that although the word count is a bit low for a YA novel, it's the story that's the main issue.

KTC · Apr 28, 2008

Bourgeois Nerd said:
I'm going to play devil's advocate here and ask why people think longer or bigger is better? That isn't necessarily so for many things in life, like houses and cars. And some of the best books I've ever read took me either 4-6 hours to read or a few days depending on how much time I had to give them.

I say all of this because I'm worried that my word count isn't 'high' enough - 45,000 words for a literary novel. I think that maybe the genre can determine how fast or slow you go and also the reader's time. When you have a kid, it's veeery hard to carve out time to read straight through. God, no wonder my dad spent so many hours on the can when I was growing up! He was trying to read without me or my sister bothering him. Poor man, now I know how he feels.

After you try to sell a novella, decide again whether or not you want to play devil's advocate with this question. That 45,000 word literary novel you're sitting on is a novella. I have one that clocks in at about the same speed (length) and I'm discovering that a novella is a hard sell. Not impossible, but hard.

Bourgeois Nerd · Apr 29, 2008

KTC said:
After you try to sell a novella, decide again whether or not you want to play devil's advocate with this question. That 45,000 word literary novel you're sitting on is a novella. I have one that clocks in at about the same speed (length) and I'm discovering that a novella is a hard sell. Not impossible, but hard.

Oh this is depressing. What kind of responses have you gotten back from agents? Do they come right out and tell you they want more plot or subplot?

I'm only playing devil's advocate on this board, you understand. I'm working on a 2nd book that I know will be longer. Maybe that's the one that will get representation. I just don't know what I can put into the first book (novella) that wouldn't seem like filler. I plotted the whole thing out carefully, according to what I wanted to say and where the character arcs were going.

billyf027 · Apr 29, 2008

There has been a trend of shorter books hitting the market in recent days. Here is one with only 175 pages.

Barnes & Noble.com - Books: Go with Me, by Castle Freeman, Hardcover

Danalynn · Apr 29, 2008

If you go with the general rule that there are 250 words per page (for YA?), then a 175 page novel would have an average of 43,000 words.

Bourgeois Nerd · Apr 29, 2008

So, I'm really anal and love researching and I found r/o

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novella

It has a great list of surprising books that I didn't even know were novellas (under 40K).

Heart of Darkness, Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, A Christmas Carol, Breakfast at Tiffany's, Angels and Insects and so on.

FWIW

Word Count too low?

Yes, I'm totally into that..

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