better to round up or down?

mirrorkisses · Oct 27, 2007

Obviously if you wrote something like 70,600 words, you would round up and 70,300 words, you would round down.

But when it comes to, say, 70,500, it seems too much in the middle to do either, even though it's universally agreed to round up.

What do you guys think?

ORION · Oct 27, 2007

If it was 70,500 I would round to 71,000.
If it was 99,500 I would round down to 99,000.
LOL
My agent always counts by "fives" 70,000, 75,000, 80,000,85,000 and forgets the middles so a 71,000 novel would be a 70,000 novel - she knows they can easily be tweaked up or down.
Where you get into a problem if it's 350,000!

PeeDee · Oct 27, 2007

Yeah, I agree with Orion on that one.

ORION · Oct 27, 2007

Well there's always a first time for everything...LOL

PeeDee · Oct 27, 2007

You're wrong about that one, though! Fool!

amber_grosjean · Oct 27, 2007

I always round down on word count. If a publisher or agent sees 71,000 and your story was 69,700, they may ask where the other 300 words went so I always try to play it safe by saying aprox 69,000 words which tells them the words are about that but not exact. If it was 69,990, then I would say aprox 70,000 but only if it was that close. But that's me. I don't expect everyone to do it like that. I think its just a personal case on the number count.

Amber

The_Grand_Duchess · Oct 27, 2007

I don't know, I would probably say 70,000. Just to make it a nice clean number. I think thats the goal, to make a nice clean number.

Marlys · Oct 27, 2007

For some reason, odd thousands (other than 5Ks) look off to me. I tend to round to even numbers: 68,000 or 70,000, but not 69,000. Once above 100K, I would probably round to the nearest ten thousand. 100,000 instead of 101,000; 110,000 instead of 107,000. That's more aesthetics than any "rule" I've come across.

Yeah, what the Grand Duchess just said. A nice, clean number.

ORION · Oct 27, 2007

ha ha ha ha PeeDee...
I will tell you amber NOBODY will ask you about where 300 words went. After you get representation no one asks you about word count at all!!! My editor at Putnam was the one who was the least interested in my word count.
And the number of pages are totally dependent on the paragraph length and amount of dialogue.
I really think it is the extremes on both ends (less than 50,000 and more than 100,000) that you have to start to worry...

maestrowork · Oct 27, 2007

Yup, I'd round to the nearest 1000.

ishtar'sgate · Oct 27, 2007

mirrorkisses said:
Obviously if you wrote something like 70,600 words, you would round up and 70,300 words, you would round down.

But when it comes to, say, 70,500, it seems too much in the middle to do either, even though it's universally agreed to round up.

What do you guys think?

I don't think you need to sweat this one. Round it out however you like. The word cound will all be changed come editing time anyway.

Linnea

Julie Worth · Oct 27, 2007

mirrorkisses said:
But when it comes to, say, 70,500, it seems too much in the middle to do either, even though it's universally agreed to round up.

What do you guys think?

Add the words THE END, and round up.

Maprilynne · Oct 27, 2007

ORION said:
After you get representation no one asks you about word count at all!!!

True Words. My agent doesn't even include the word count on her submissions to editors.

rwam · Oct 28, 2007

ORION said:
ha ha ha ha PeeDee...
I will tell you amber NOBODY will ask you about where 300 words went. After you get representation no one asks you about word count at all!!! My editor at Putnam was the one who was the least interested in my word count.
And the number of pages are totally dependent on the paragraph length and amount of dialogue.
I really think it is the extremes on both ends (less than 50,000 and more than 100,000) that you have to start to worry...

Besides, by the time your agent's done with it, the word count for the publisher's going to be different anyway...plus your agent s/b able to coach you on what word count you'll be putting down.

ORION · Oct 28, 2007

rwam - re "coach you on what word count you'll be putting down" when the agent has it on submission you have little to do with that submission process- word count is not a part of it- after reading the manuscript none of the editors were in the least interested in the word count of LOTTERY before offering.

Esopha · Oct 28, 2007

Five and above, give it a shove.

That's eleven years of American public education, folks.

better to round up or down?

mirrorkisses

ORION

Sailed away years ago

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

ORION

Sailed away years ago

PeeDee

Where's my tea, please...?

amber_grosjean

AW Addict

The_Grand_Duchess

I record everything.

Marlys

Resist. Love. Go outside.

ORION

Sailed away years ago

maestrowork

Fear the Death Ray

ishtar'sgate

living in the past

Julie Worth

What? I have a title?

Maprilynne

Author Waiting in the Wings

rwam

ORION

Sailed away years ago

Esopha

bam pow zap.