Is 81,000 words too long for a YA/NA novel?

I've written a novel that toes the line between YA and NA because of its subject matter and varying ages.

Most articles suggest YA books should clock in between 50,000 and 80,000 words.

This one is 81,003, and that’s after a lot of editing. The first draft was 98,000 words. The second draft was 84,000 words, and now I’ve gotten it down to 81,000.

I don’t want a potential agent or publisher to not look at the book for being 1,000 words too long.

Am I worrying about nothing, or should I cut another 1,000 words, even if doing so is a detriment to the story?

Enlightened said:

I assume this is your first book.

Did you pass the book by someone other than yourself or a family member (beta reader or critique partner for example)?

What did the beta reader or C.P. suggest if you did have one or more?

If this is your first time writing a book and you want to get an agent and sell it, I would absolutely find a C.P. or beta readers to make sure all the bells and whistles are there and complete (e.g. subplots conclude before the climax, plot structure is adhered to, and so on) if you have not done so.

If you read 80K is max, like I heard, I wouldn't cross that threshold if this is your first book and you are looking to land an agent (and get it published). That's me though. Others may have differing opinions.

Once you have 50 posts, you can post a sample of your work in Share Your Work forum here and get some preliminary feedback. You can get an idea of what others think of your work and see if any problems exist.

Click to expand...

Hi! Thank you for your advice regarding beta readers.

I'm new to Absolute Write but not to writing. A few years back, I published three novels through Bechavn Publishing, a small LGBTQ publishing house out of Arizona. They discovered my work online after a story I wrote got some attention. Since they reached out to me rather than me pursuing them, I never got to experience the traditional route of querying. I have no experience in that area and am completely lost. I hope to get un-lost with advice from kind people like you!

My old publishing company, Bechavn, isn't an option for this book because it was sold and shut down in 2015 after the owner fell ill. Even if they were still around, I'm not sure this particular novel would be a good fit for them.

Your advice on where to find beta readers is helpful. I need new beta readers. I have worked with betas in the past, but my favorite reader doesn't have the free time she used to. So, I'm sure I will take your advice if I reach 50 posts. Hopefully, the people here will be kind, supportive, and honest.

At this point, I don't feel comfortable posting portions of my novel. It would be unfair to ask someone to put energy into something unworthy of their efforts. I'm only three drafts in and haven't even given it to my Mother to proofread. I know the rule about 'no family,' but I have my Mother check for grammatical errors because she taught English for 35 years and because proofreading is more objective than giving critiques. Once she's proofed the work, I'll consider posting it here and sending it to a couple of betas who have read for me in the past.

Any additional advice you wish to give is appreciated. I am navigating waters I've never stepped foot in, and finding people who enjoy this genre will be tricky because it's a different genre than my previous books.

mccardey said:

Cutting 1000 words won't be detrimental to the story. On the other hand, being 1000 words over won't get you slammed. If your story is brilliant and your characters are delightful and your writing is fantastic, 1,000 words are something an editor can tackle.

That said - why not try one more pass yourself?

Click to expand...

Thank you for your response!

I hope you are right. I see you post here a lot, and I find that encouraging.

I am taking one more pass at it. I'm already four chapters deep into my fourth draft. It's just getting harder and harder for me to find things to cut; however, I'm sure when I get to the beta phase, someone less attached will wonder why I didn't get rid of far more.

Brightdreamer said:

I strongly doubt you'll find an agent or publisher who absolutely loves your story but - gasp! - one thousand extra words... into the incinerator it goes, and you along with it!

If the story's solid as it is, I wouldn't worry about it; those are guidelines, not absolutes, and you're pretty close to the ballpark.

Click to expand...

Thank you, your response helps put me at ease! I'm still hoping I can kill those extra 1,000 words, but it's nice to hear I'm not screwed if I fail.

Ari Meermans said:

This. Word count guidelines are really about structure (as well as reader expectations)—if your novel is significantly under, agents tend to think your story isn't developed. Word counts that are too much over the guideline indicate the possibility (likelihood) of pacing issues.

I do recommend getting some beta readers if you haven't. Good betas are worth their weight in gold.

Click to expand...

I once had a fantastic beta, and I hate I lost her. She could be brutally honest without crushing my soul. I miss her.

Patty said:

If you can afford to do so, I'd recommend printing it and reading hard copy. At least a chapter or two. Maybe even reformat, use a different font and so on.

Your words might well look different to you that way--mine do anyway, which can show you things you don't need (or things you still need to add back.). And also, the idea of putting the manuscript away and coming back to it (after a few weeks), that can make you see things you are currently having difficulty seeing.

(Of course, all that said, I don't think 81000 is necessarily too long--and it's a bit variable by agent/house anyway. You can get reports on the length of manuscripts, and separately whether an agent takes YA, at query tracker. Select an agent, go under reports, and look at Manuscript Word Count. You won't know if those are YA or not, but with a little sleuthing you can get a feel for whether an agent would be more or less likely to mind the extra 1000 words. Ah, data.)

Click to expand...

I did your idea of changing the formating and font to see if the words felt different, and it really helps! I never would've thought of that. Now I'm going to do it all the time. Thank you for the really great advice!