Calculating Word Count?

[Storyteller5]

How do you determine word count of a piece to list in the query letter or cover letter with a submission?


250words x number of pages = word count
or
use the word count on your writing program (ie MS Word)
?

:writing:

[awatkins]

I use the word count feature for anything requiring a count.

[Jamesaritchie]

How do you determine word count for a query letter or cover letter on a submission?

250words x number of pages = word count
or
use the word count on your writing program (ie MS Word)
?

:writing:



There's no reason to calculate word count for a cover letter or query letter. Just make it look nice. Agents and editor do not count the number of words on cover letters or query letters. The word count in a cover letter does not count toward the word count of the enclosed manuscript.

For the manuscript, use Courier 12, double-spaced, with one inch margins, and count every page, including half pages, as 250 words.

[Aconite]

JAR, I could be wrong about this, but I think Storyteller5 meant, "How do you calculate the word count of a submission in order to list it in the query letter or cover letter?"

Personally, I calculate my words per line and lines per page for words per page, multiplied by number of pages.

[scarletpeaches]

I use the 250 words per page of Courier 12 pt, rounded down to the nearest 5000, method.

[Storyteller5]

JAR, I could be wrong about this, but I think Storyteller5 meant, "How do you calculate the word count of a submission in order to list it in the query letter or cover letter?"


Yes, this is what I meant. Is there an industry standard or does it depend on the publisher?

[Aconite]

There are lots of ways to do it, and their accuracy varies. In a cover letter or query letter, they're just looking for an estimate. ("Word count," as you probably know, is actually an estimate of how much paper or space the printed manuscript will take up, not of the actual words.) The publisher will do its own word count according to its own methods when that becomes important, so don't sweat it too much.

[Jamesaritchie]

JAR, I could be wrong about this, but I think Storyteller5 meant, "How do you calculate the word count of a submission in order to list it in the query letter or cover letter?"

Personally, I calculate my words per line and lines per page for words per page, multiplied by number of pages.

In that case, just use Courier 12, one inch margins, and multiply by 250. It's very accurate, and gives a paper count, rather than an ink count.