tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597446736200108024.post4933345818032715607..comments2024-03-28T00:28:02.920-07:00Comments on Navigating the Slush Pile: The Agent Answers: Word CountVickie Motterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15791034462866079818noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597446736200108024.post-69980109337200495042012-12-06T10:15:17.777-08:002012-12-06T10:15:17.777-08:00I love writing long, sweeping historical sagas, so...I love writing long, sweeping historical sagas, so some of my books have word counts over 300,000. Given the modern-day attitudes about deliberately long books, I'll probably have to pursue some kind of indie or e-publishing for them.<br /><br />I have seen some people in contests giving the EXACT word count, and it always strikes me as newbie. Although I do wish we'd get back to the old idea that telling a story is more important than fanatically counting words and stressing out if a book ends up at barely above novella-length or stretches to 400,000 words. A good writer knows how to write a book at the length that works for it, instead of trying to plan a story around a certain length in advance.Carrie-Annehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05810154378449825641noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597446736200108024.post-20920053788540859372012-12-06T05:45:25.376-08:002012-12-06T05:45:25.376-08:00For YA sci fi, over what word count would give you...For YA sci fi, over what word count would give you pause or be an automatic no?Eric Steinberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09283567940889742918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597446736200108024.post-36984660416235501112012-12-06T01:22:37.502-08:002012-12-06T01:22:37.502-08:00I just finished editing a manuscript for another Y...I just finished editing a manuscript for another YA author (no, really, it isn't some "friend" who really is me, but it really is another author). Her first novel was 65,000 words, but the second was around 140,000 words. <br /><br />Was I out of line to suggest she cut down the novel CONSIDERABLY? Dr. Cheryl Carvajalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15323455180953109460noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1597446736200108024.post-11414057280775950292012-12-06T00:49:36.683-08:002012-12-06T00:49:36.683-08:00What about the other direction? What's the low...What about the other direction? What's the lowest word count you'd be likely to accept?Emilynoreply@blogger.com