My Novel--A Bit of a Western, More Literary Fiction

Cochinay · Jul 22, 2017

I'm back after a break. I've gone through 4 more drafts in the past several months. I've had an editor help and provide direction. I have no expectations, and getting published isn't my life's goal. I started all this in 1997, and I can shelve it. But my editor and a few objective folks like what I've done. I'm feeling a little better about it, and will soon gear up pitching it. At 66,700 words, or about 220 pages, am I too short to say this is a novel? I don't like the sound of novella all that much.

Thanks all, and good luck with all your projects and works. C

Treehouseman · Jul 22, 2017

Hi, smaller or micro publishers might be willing to take a punt on 66K for literary (I'm assuming that Western fiction has rolled into Literary with Cormac McCarthy for Blood Meridian or gone into Historical Literary like... possibly the same guy and others). If you could boost to 300 pages you could better your chances, though.

What is being published in your genre in bookshops? For what is selling now, that might be a better indicator of what you have to achieve.

blacbird · Jul 24, 2017

In my opinion, the finest novelist to use the tropes of the Western genre in a fully literary way was Walter Van Tilburg Clark. He was a slow, careful, and non-prolific writer, whose two best novels, The Ox-Bow Incident and The Track of the Cat are just plain masterpieces. I'd recommend them to you, as both great reads and as a look at how a masterful writer has done what you intend.

caw

mccardey · Jul 24, 2017

I heard an editor at a Thing recently saying that 60,000 - 70,000 words was the new sweet spot for fiction. I don't know the editor or her background, but since my current WiP is determined to stick around 65,000 words, I've decided to throw my weight behind her statement 100%.

blacbird · Jul 28, 2017

mccardey said:
I heard an editor at a Thing recently saying that 60,000 - 70,000 words was the new sweet spot for fiction.

So it keeps shrinking? That's great for me. Maybe my zero-word minimalist novel will finally achieve acceptance.

caw

LuckyStar · Aug 13, 2017

Maybe 60k is the new 80k.

Idk. It sounds a little thin in the word count, but when you consider THE GREAT GATSBY has 47,094 [FONT=Roboto, arial, sans-serif]you should have nothing to worry about.[/FONT]

I have written a ms that takes place in the 1800s, in the West, yet I don't consider it a western. It's not a western, it's Historical Fiction. That's how I pitch it. It has 80+k. Not too long, not too short, as I see it.

I've had full requests, so I think you should take the plunge querying when you feel up to it.

My Novel--A Bit of a Western, More Literary Fiction

Cochinay

Treehouseman

blacbird

mccardey

blacbird

LuckyStar