Word count advice

2000 words is significant, in proportion to the total. I wonder if there's a way to add in an extra scene with the h/h? Or maybe do four pages of her thinking about him and four pages of him thinking about her?

Maybe someone with some actual M&B knowledge will show up...but good luck with your project!

They are very specific with their word counts. I would try to reach 50,000 words.

girlyswot said:

I have a completed second draft of a manuscript that I am planning to submit to Mills and Boon for their Romance line (I think this is basically the same as HQ Romance line - pink covers, no sex). The guidelines are that it should be 50-55,000 words long. At the moment my ms is about 48,000 words long and I'm pretty happy with how it reads.

So, what should I do? Would it be dismissed out of hand if I sent it as it is now or might I get away with being a little under the suggested word count? Or do I need to find 2000 extra words to shove in somewhere as best I can?

Thoughts? Experience? Advice?

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Yep. Leave it alone. 48K is perfectly acceptable for a line whose count is 50-55k.

So no sweat! You're good to go.

Susan G.

I ditto what Susan said. That same question has come up on the Harl boards and if they think it needs something else that can be fixed in revision. Best of luck!

And yes, Mills and Boon Romance and HQ Romance are the same lines.

And I heard they rejected on word count alone sometimes? Oh well... Good to know

brainstorm77 said:

And I heard they rejected on word count alone sometimes? Oh well... Good to know

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Yeah, if you're way outside the count. But not for 2k.

Susan G.

When I need to boost my wordcount I go through the MS and add details, add a new scene, enhance a love scene, etc. You'll be surprised how fast the word count creeps up by adding here and there.

ok, question about word count...
When is too many, well, too many?
I have three WIP that are out to my beta readers - The concern I have it the current count - 175,000+. I seem to average 150,000 to 200,000 BEFORE any revisions. Should I just hope to hook up with the same publisher as Diana Gabaldon who doesn't seem to mind 1000 page epic novels? {lol}
Let's face it, I couldn't write a "short story" if my life depended on it...HELP!

175k+ huh? Wow.

Yeah, you're going to find that hard to sell. Most single title romances top out at 100k --most single title fantasy, mystery, horror, etc also, for that matter.

I suggest you focus on editing. Are there scenes that don't move the plot along and could be removed without sacrificing the story? Can you write more concisely? Is it really 2 books that can be separated and developed into standalones?

Honestly, you're going to find almost no one will even want to consider it once they know how long it is. DG's mansucript size is rare and if you really want to sell your work, it'd be best to not add constraints that might further hinder your chances.

Trim, trim, trim!

The good news is that you probably can do 120K if this is not straight Contemporary Romance. My stuff runs 115K and I've never once had anyone mention length as a consideration.

Anything over 120K is going to be a very hard sell.
But I'm telling you stuff you already know. <g>

Now . . . I do not see any particular downside to submitting this to at least a few agents at this length.

If you find an agent who is intrigued by your writing, then she will tell you to cut the word count which will now be easier because you have somebody interested in the work. She may even give you specific and knowledgeable suggestions on how and where and how much to cut.

When you're moving out 55K words, this means eliminating the largest subplot altogether, leaving out 30K worth of incidents in the middle of the book, or shifting the start of the story 1/4 way into the manuscript. Ouch.

K.Bristow said:

ok, question about word count...
When is too many, well, too many?
I have three WIP that are out to my beta readers - The concern I have it the current count - 175,000+. I seem to average 150,000 to 200,000 BEFORE any revisions. Should I just hope to hook up with the same publisher as Diana Gabaldon who doesn't seem to mind 1000 page epic novels? {lol}
Let's face it, I couldn't write a "short story" if my life depended on it...HELP!

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Eeeek! Yeah, get used to cutting. Most agents will stop reading the query at that word count. But I'm responding because I can feel your pain. Mine was written before I knew any of the "rules" and it topped out at 220K. Yeeehhhhhh.

Learn to kill your darlings, as Stephen King says. I chopped out over half a book. And I didn't think it was possible, but it actually came out better. There are whole plot points that had to come out, and one or two of them I do miss, but it works just fine without them so it goes to prove it can be done. I stopped chopping at 98,000 and called it doable.

You can do it! Bring out that axe.

Yes, this is the boat I'm in at the moment. 123k is my finished manuscript, and I've cut and cut and cut..."kill your darlings" is great advice from Mr. King. Just wish I knew where else to cut.

Right now it's moot: my full is in hand with an agent. If I get the big R back, however, I'll be looking for ideas on where to whittle down.

I wouldn't worry too terribly much about 123K---depending on your subgenre. What sort of romance is it? If fantasy or historical, it's no problem at all. They like depth and expansion. If contemporary, it might be more of a problem.