Keeping track, H-E-L-P !!!!!!!!!!

Deep Woods Writer · Apr 17, 2010

I'm in the process (at about the 1/2 way mark) of writing my 1st book. The chapters always seem to get longer the more I write. But there is an issue I am going to have to face and I am stumped by it.

A great many agents and editors are now, from what I have seen, requiring a WORD COUNT on your submissions, some even requiring it in the summary. Now I'm using Open Office 3.1 (screw MS 2007 or 08; why pay twice for the same system) and the WORD COUNT is a part of the tools. But I am wondering, is what the agents and editors looking for a WORD COUNT or is it a SPACE COUNT ? Neither WP system really answers that basic question. Any answers would really help.

Thanks

[email protected]

Kateness · Apr 17, 2010

They want a word count.

Smish · Apr 17, 2010

They want to know the word count.

san_remo_ave · Apr 17, 2010

Yeppers. It's word count they want.

kaitiepaige17 · Apr 17, 2010

Definitely word count.

Ehab.Ahmed · Apr 17, 2010

Yup, word count.

Terie · Apr 17, 2010

As above. And despite what some people might say, the word count the word processor gives you is perfectly fine.

thothguard51 · Apr 17, 2010

ibid to all the advice above...

Maryn · Apr 17, 2010

Aw, nuts, not one dissenting opinion?

Maryn, disappointed

leahzero · Apr 17, 2010

No, no, no. They want an adverb count. If it's over a certain number, you'll get a form rejection.

PoppysInARow · Apr 17, 2010

Leah Raeder said:
No, no, no. They want an adverb count. If it's over a certain number, you'll get a form rejection.

And don't forget too little and its an auto reject too. Writing is about finding that secret number of adverbs that leads to instant best-seller success.

Ehab.Ahmed · Apr 17, 2010

PoppysInARow said:
And don't forget too little and its an auto reject too. Writing is about finding that secret number of adverbs that leads to instant best-seller success.

To me, saying that is almost as embarking on a Holy Grail quest, but true.

Margarita Skies · Apr 17, 2010

You mean your word-processor doesn't give you the word-count of your manuscript? Because what agents want to know is the word count. What Leah said made me laugh.

Lydia Sharp · Apr 18, 2010

Deep Woods Writer said:
But I am wondering, is what the agents and editors looking for a WORD COUNT or is it a SPACE COUNT ?

I've never heard of a space count.

Before you call your novel "done", you should also know what the accepted word count is for your genre. For example, I aim for no more than 110-120K for my science fiction and fantasy, no more than 90-100K for my women's fiction, and no more than 70-80K for my young adult fiction. Keeping to a certain word count is easily achieved if you know what it should be before you start your first draft.

If your chapters seem to be getting longer and longer... the way you worded that makes me think that your story might be getting away from you a little (but I can't say for sure) and you may find you have a lot of cutting to do when you start revisions and editing. There are no set lengths for chapters, but there are standard ranges for novel lengths, and much of that depends on the genre.

I guess I'm just emphasizing the need to do your research. Good luck to you!

Birol · Apr 18, 2010

Deep Woods Writer said:
I'm in the process (at about the 1/2 way mark) of writing my 1st book. The chapters always seem to get longer the more I write. But there is an issue I am going to have to face and I am stumped by it.

A great many agents and editors are now, from what I have seen, requiring a WORD COUNT on your submissions, some even requiring it in the summary. Now I'm using Open Office 3.1 (screw MS 2007 or 08; why pay twice for the same system) and the WORD COUNT is a part of the tools. But I am wondering, is what the agents and editors looking for a WORD COUNT or is it a SPACE COUNT ? Neither WP system really answers that basic question. Any answers would really help.

Thanks

[email protected]

If they wanted a SPACE COUNT they would ask for it and everyone here would know what you're talking about when you used that term. They ask for a WORD COUNT because that's what they want -- and this is not new. Even back in the days of type writers, scissors, and pots of glue, they wanted an estimated word count. That's why there were formulas for calculating word counts before the advent of word processors that would do it for you.

shaldna · Apr 18, 2010

What the hell is a space count?

Margarita Skies · Apr 18, 2010

shaldna said:
What the hell is a space count?

shaldna · Apr 18, 2010

Seriously I am so confused right now.

Ehab.Ahmed · Apr 18, 2010

I think most of us are confused about this, too. At least, I know I am, too, lol. If space count is actual white spaces, then I'd give the agent a manuscript full of white spaces and no words!! That should get me published, right? :tongue

Margarita Skies · Apr 18, 2010

Ehab.Ahmed said:
I think most of us are confused about this, too. At least, I know I am, too, lol. If space count is actual white spaces, then I'd give the agent a manuscript full of white spaces and no words!! That should get me published, right?

I am sorry, but this was just too funny!! Props for you!!

donroc · Apr 19, 2010

A space count was used by the Army when I served in the 1950s. 5 spaces equaled one word. I used to think that way when I counted words before the computer era. 65 spaces = 13 words/line X 25 lines per page = 325 words. I did switch to the computer word count. Still, a "Yes." in dialogue takes the same space as a line of narrative.

CaroGirl · Apr 19, 2010

Space count is done by using a proportional font like Courier. In a proportional font, each letter, whether it's an 'i' or a capital 'C', takes up the same amount of space. You can calculate the word count by making sure your margins are 1" all around and use Courier font, 12 pt, which ensures each page has approximately 250 words (I think). Multiply that by the number of pages and you have a typesetter's "space count". With the advent of the modern word processor, this calculation is no longer necessary. The WP's word count is enough to give the agent, publisher, or editor a solid idea of the length of your book.

shaldna · Apr 19, 2010

Ah, I understand now. I've just never heard it called a space count before. We use that system in work, but we call it an estimated count.

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