Word count for non-fiction memoir

I have never heard of a "typical word count" for a memoir, only with children's nonfiction books. How many pages is your manuscript? I have to apologize I should be able to estimate with your word count, but apparently I have not had enough caffeine today!

Smf, 25,000 is pretty darn short. For comparison, the soon-to-be-commercially-published memoir I just finished editing was about 70,000.. You'd probably want to get it up to more like 50,000 or 60,000.

Kristen

smf222 said:

Hey there gang. Just wondering if anybody has an idea of what the typical/approximate word count is for a memoir.

I'm not writing about my entire life, just one particularly f'd up year. Right now, its at 26,150 words. Is that even close to being enough?

Thanks.

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Close to being enough for what? Publication? I wouldn't worry about how long it is if it's a really, really terrific story and will make editors want to read on. The problem is that most people write memoirs that only they want to read.

Just to give you an idea, my memoir which only covered a 4 month span of my life comes in at 67,000 words. Again though, as Nomad said, if it is something that editors will want to continue to read, that is the important thing.

smf222 said:

I'm not writing about my entire life, just one particularly f'd up year.

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Fyi, that's the definition of a memoir. If you were writing about your entire life, that would be an autibiography.

Well I'm up the creek then. I thought I said everything I wanted to say and it's only 13k for my memoir. 'Tis there no hope?

I got nothing. Maybe set it aside for a bit and come back to it?

word count

The only real answer to this is to look at publisher's guidelines. But it's awfully tough to find a home for any adult book under 60,000 words, or much over 120,000 words.

Of course, some can be very short. For example, I have publishers clamouring for my memoirs right now, offering seven-figure advances. My manuscript is quit short now. In fact, it's one chapter long. Here is chapter one:

"I am awesome."

Succinct, pithy, and utterly, devastatingly honest.