Showing posts with label memoir. Show all posts
Showing posts with label memoir. Show all posts

27 October 2015

What's in a Word Count?





Counting words seemed to me initially to be a counter intuitive concept. After all, is it not about the quality of the words rather than the quantity? Yet the guidelines for first-time authors to be accepted into established categories are rather strict. A novel must be over 40,000 words, but most publishers need 80,000-100,000 words to charge a standard amount of money and compete on a bookshelf. Thrillers are even longer at 100,000 to 175,000. I suppose it is a value per word marketing proposition.

                            Classification Word count
                    Novel over 40,000 words
                     Novella 17,500 to 40,000 words
                      Novelette 7,500 to 17,500 words
                     Short story under 7,500 words


28 August 2015

I cannot not write


Books are fun to write, for me at least. Whether writing non-fiction or fiction, I love to get wrapped up in a subject and look at it from the perspective of my prospective audience. What are they looking to learn from me? What will entice them to spend their precious time with me? How can I share my knowledge and entertain a little, too. These are the kinds of questions I ask myself throughout the process. I don't want to let them down, and yet I know I cannot satisfy them all.