Your longest and shortest books

seun · Apr 18, 2007

Just out of interest, what are your longest and shortest books? My longest was around 126,000 words. I cut it down to 90,000 after a huge edit which basically resulted in a new book. My shortest before that was 99,000 words.

maestrowork · Apr 18, 2007

My first novel is 75000 words. I have a feeling my WIP is going to be 120K.

seun · Apr 18, 2007

I think my next book will be my shortest which I quite like the idea of. I'm always worried about overdoing it and ending up with something bloated...which is where the fun of editing comes in.

Cindyh2k · Apr 18, 2007

The first draft of my first attempt at a novel is only 19,000 words - now my challenge is to add content and keep the story line intact!

Nakhlasmoke · Apr 18, 2007

My longest is around a 100 000 words, and my shortest 69 000

69 000 for fantasy doesn't even get a look-in at some publishers, but I'll survive.

Shadow_Ferret · Apr 18, 2007

My longest clocks in at 195,000 words. My shortest at just over 13,000. That makes it a novelette or something. Never been sure about those terms.

My current WIP came in at 63,000 words and I punched it up to 70,000.

David McAfee · Apr 18, 2007

My first novel was 112K. My second came in at half that. 57K. My third looks like it's going to fall in the 80K range.

sunna · Apr 18, 2007

My first novel is 122K, after some serious edits. My second is at 21K after a month; when I'm done it will probably end up being pretty close to the first.
Shortest, so far, is a collection of poetry I have ignored for years, as it gets more embarrassing every time I look at it.

The Scip · Apr 18, 2007

My first novel was 85K my 2nd although it is very early looks like it will be longer than that, i'm guessing 100k but it might be a little early to tell for sure.

sfecphory · Apr 18, 2007

My first is around 70,000, my current WIP is probably heading toward 100,000.

NeuroFizz · Apr 18, 2007

96,000
105,000
80,000
70,000
76,000

MidnightMuse · Apr 18, 2007

Shortest: 64,000

Longest: 241,000

IrishScribbler · Apr 18, 2007

My WIP is currently at about 30,000 words, and I'm working on filling out the story.

I suppose since this is my first, it also makes it my longest?

jchines · Apr 18, 2007

All of mine have come in between 90,000 and 105,000 words. My brain seems locked into that range for novels...

ChaosTitan · Apr 18, 2007

Shortest was my first, clocking in around 72k. Longest was one that I co-wrote at 114k (longest that wasn't co-written came in at 95k).

scarletpeaches · Apr 18, 2007

If we're talking straight MS Word word count, shortest was 72k, longest 100k. I never checked to see what these were in manuscript format. My trunk novel was handwritten and came in at (rough estimate) 175k.

seun · Apr 18, 2007

jchines said:
All of mine have come in between 90,000 and 105,000 words. My brain seems locked into that range for novels...

I end up in a similar area. I feel most comfortable somewhere between 90,000 and 100,000.

Shady Lane · Apr 18, 2007

Longest: 78,000
Shortest: 22,000

Mine are always small.

Provrb1810meggy · Apr 18, 2007

Let's see....These are YA novels, mind you.

Longest: 61,000
Shortest: 35,000 (Well, around that...it's still a WIP)

My novel on submission now is 40,000 words, and my NaNoWriMo novel is a little bit over 50,000 words. I have a tendency to write too short and then have to bulk up in later drafts.

Will Lavender · Apr 18, 2007

Shadow_Ferret said:
My longest clocks in at 195,000 words.

Holy cow! That's 800 pages!

Anthony Ravenscroft · Apr 18, 2007

In print? Longest nonfiction: 177K. Shortest: 48K. Only novel: 86K.

Joe270 · Apr 18, 2007

Bunch of scripts first, then: First two novels ran about 75 K, but they were structured for an existing series.

Then more scripts.

Unfinished novel runs 90k.

Then the monster weighed in a 256k. After extensive editing, now it looks to come in at 100k. Hell, I think it might be a short story after all. I'm beginning to think it might just be a haiku.

alisarish · Apr 19, 2007

I don't count my first book that was printed by a vanity publisher, but the second book is around 55k words, its currently being copyedited and if the lady who is reviewing it tells me to expand it, I will.

Cassidy · Apr 19, 2007

Mine are juvenile and YA-- and all short. They range from 15,000 (a reluctant reader) to 50,000 (YA novels). I usually write a bit longer, cut whole chapters in the first revision and add scenes in later revisions-- not a plan, just what seems to happen. I'm currently doing final edits on my 50,000 word YA novel and have all kinds of respect for those of you revising books that are two and three times this long. That's a lot of words to keep track of. -Cassidy

Argo · Apr 22, 2007

My longest was my first: 330,000 words (1200 pages). Yeah. First revision knocked it down to 722 pages; next one down to 635. The current revision should land it somewhere in the 550 page mark, which I think will be somewhat acceptable.

My shortest was my second (I learned my lesson): 89,000 words (300 pages). It's also the best novel I've written so far, which is #1 out of 5.

Your longest and shortest books

Horror Man

Fear the Death Ray

Horror Man

yes

Court Jester

God of Squirrels

...walks this way.

The grad students did it

Midnight Reading

Got the hang of it, here

Around

Horror Man

my name is hannah

Everything is what it seems.

Scribble, scribble, scribble

Be honest..

writing for kids and teens