two word count questions

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Heather Lewis

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I have a single-title manuscript that is 96,738 words (according to my MSWord word count). HQN guidelines say they want 100,000-150,000 words. Will they immediately reject my submission if I'm not exactly in the range? I don't want to waste anybody's time.

(I know I could just add 4000 more words...I just didn't want to do it for the sake of adding filler unless I have to.)

Also, I have started a second manuscript, which I'm aiming for the Silhouette Desire line. Their web guidelines say they want 57,000 words. That's pretty specific! Most lines give a range. So, does that mean they actually want as close to 57,000 as possible? Does anyone know what kind of leeway they have on either side of that number? (I read the earlier thread about the changes to wanting 50,000-55,000 words, but that's still not on the actual eharlequin.com web guidelines.)

Any advice would be much appreciated. I am new to the site and just starting to read through all the amazing info here!

Take care everybody.
MelRandall
 

Susan Gable

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MelRandall said:
I have a single-title manuscript that is 96,738 words (according to my MSWord word count). HQN guidelines say they want 100,000-150,000 words. Will they immediately reject my submission if I'm not exactly in the range? I don't want to waste anybody's time.

Hi, Mel! Welcome! :welcome:

I tihnk you're close enough to go ahead and submit it as it is. In your cover letter, I'd round it up and call it 97K. :) If they love the story, they'll buy it anyway. That's very, very close. They'll want revisions, anyway, and that might be where/when you can add if they think you're too short.

Also, I have started a second manuscript, which I'm aiming for the Silhouette Desire line. Their web guidelines say they want 57,000 words. That's pretty specific! Most lines give a range. So, does that mean they actually want as close to 57,000 as possible? Does anyone know what kind of leeway they have on either side of that number? (I read the earlier thread about the changes to wanting 50,000-55,000 words, but that's still not on the actual eharlequin.com web guidelines.)

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that probably 55-57K should put you where they want you to be. I'd try not to go over 57.

Just remember that they're using computer word count now. :)

Susan G.
 

Susan Gable

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MelRandall said:
Thanks, Susan. That helps.


Sadly, computer word count is all I'm capable of. Anything else would require doing math... :p

MR

LOL. I have a cheat chart on my office wall. <G> It gives the page counts for various word counts.

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Using one of the other methods will generally give you a higher word count, sometimes considerably so.

ac
 

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MelRandall said:
I have a single-title manuscript that is 96,738 words (according to my MSWord word count). HQN guidelines say they want 100,000-150,000 words.Will they immediately reject my submission if I'm not exactly in the range?

No. Better to be a little under than over with HQ.

Silhouette Desire guidelines say they want 57,000 words. does that mean they actually want as close to 57,000 as possible?

Keeping in mind their webpage might not be wholly free of typos get it as close to 57K as you can but NOT over that number.

You might want to write their website person and point out the problem. If something was left out, they'll want to know about it.

They're sticklers for how many pages they want in a paperback and if you don't trim the book someone else will.

One of my buds writes for them, and though there wasn't a wasted page in her MS they asked for a 10K word cut on it. Nothing personal, they loved the book, but it HAD to be within their count. She made her own cuts, which worked out just fine.

So long as you're under the wire, not over, you'll do just fine.
 

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Gillhoughly said:
You might want to write their website person and point out the problem. If something was left out, they'll want to know about it.
I just don't want to annoy them with something before I submit my ms! Though I guess the web department probably won't care who the email is from. I was thinking of this recently as I was researching agents -- the Knight Agency has a new site and it has a few glaring (IMO) typos. I was tempted to alert them, but I didn't want to jinx my submission. Is that wrong? I find not everyone appreciates their errors being pointed out. Esp. when they've put a lot of hard work into something, which they obviously have. I think the new site looks really good, I'm just a compulsive proofreader...

Gillhoughly said:
They're sticklers for how many pages they want in a paperback and if you don't trim the book someone else will.

One of my buds writes for them, and though there wasn't a wasted page in her MS they asked for a 10K word cut on it. Nothing personal, they loved the book, but it HAD to be within their count. She made her own cuts, which worked out just fine.
That's great, thanks for the info. I like editing (do it professionally when I'm not writing) & I'm pretty good at chopping, if necessary.

Gillhoughly said:
So long as you're under the wire, not over, you'll do just fine.
Ha, now if that were the only hurdle... :D

Thanks again!

MR
 
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