# too many words for a first-timer?



## WolfieReveles (Feb 17, 2012)

Okay, I'm currently finishing off my novel(first draft) and I realize that I just crossed the 100,000 word line, and I probably have another 15,000 left. Now by second draft I will probably reduce this to 100,000-105,000 but from what I've read online, it's still an expensive print for a writer with no track record.

I'm 23, with no professional background. I studied screenwriting, and have couple of short films from my school days, but that hardly counts as a good resume. Basically I'm worried that it won't inspire enough confidence to make a publisher go "hey, let's print this brick". Sure, it's no Sophie's World, but is it too long? And if it is, how can I "sell the project" so to say?

I was considering pumping out a few short stories to get them printed in magazines. Perhaps even looking for work in some area that might lend me some credibility as a writer. I intend to have the final draft edited by a professional, what ever it may cost (what does that cost in the U.K. anyway? If the minimum suggested wage is around 20£, how many hours am I looking at?). 

Any tips or input would be great, even links to where these things have been discussed previously. I'm terribly uninformed, but I'm doing my best to remedy that in time.


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## Sam (Feb 17, 2012)

My thriller novel was accepted for publication at 145,000 words. I had no prior resume worth speaking of. 

It varies for each genre, though.


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## WolfieReveles (Feb 18, 2012)

Sam W said:


> My thriller novel was accepted for publication at 145,000 words. I had no prior resume worth speaking of.
> 
> It varies for each genre, though.



Perhaps my genre is less forgiving seeing as it's a steampunk(ish) adventure, but regardless; this lifts my confidence a bit. Hopefully a good teaser and an even better synopsis will do the trick, along with some editing. I don't lack confidence in my story, only in my own image and presentation as a writer.


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## Potty (Feb 18, 2012)

If it's steampunk you have a buyer in me!! 

If your work is good I doubt not having a good portfolio will matter. At the end of the day, I would buy a hotdog off of anyone so long as it tastes good, I don't request to see his cooking qualifications to be able to enjoy it!


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## WolfieReveles (Feb 19, 2012)

I'm glad to hear that, and especially from a Britt, seeing as that's where I hope to publish it.


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## BYRogers (Feb 20, 2012)

Scott Merideth, an agent who wrote "Writing to Sell", recommends that first time writers should be around 80,000 words.  Matthew Stover (google him) took my tome at 120,000 and told me to rewrite it (but only after I read Writing to Sell). My finished product is at 71,000 and so much better because of Matt's advice.


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## starseed (Feb 26, 2012)

I totally hear you on this worry.... mine was 105,000... it's a sort of adventure/travel/romance/coming of age type story. So that's a bit long. 

I'm trying to get it down between 80-90,000. I don't really think it will make or break me if an agent/publisher likes the story and thinks it'll sell, but I know having every scene and every bit of narration as short, to the point and tight as it can be will only help. And if they see it as cheaper and easier to publish that's even more in my favor. 

I always try and remember, if there are scenes that I adore but aren't necessary and don't quite work, I can always use them in a later tale.


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## TWErvin2 (Mar 10, 2012)

While it does depend on the genre, 105,000 words isn't a "brick" when it comes to novels. Also, it may help getting some short stories published (as was stated above), but that's not necessarily an easy thing to accomplish either. As with novels, there is a lot of competition, and magazines/ezines that would be of great benefit have the most competition.I don't read a lot of steam punk, but with many speculative fiction markets, novels over 100,000 words definately aren't unheard of.Of the major SF/Fantasy publishers in the USA (Baen, DAW, ROC and Tor for example) 90,000+ words are basically stated as acceptable in their submission guidelines.   That doesn't mean sending off a 200,000 word manuscript is going to be looked at favorably as compared to a 125,000 word one.  My first novel, published by a small publisher, was almost 128,000 words.I'd say just tell the story, keeping it lean as you can.


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## sunaynaprasad (Mar 10, 2012)

What audience is your story aimed for? If it's for kids, then yes, the word count may be too long. If it's for adults, then I think it should be fine.


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## WolfieReveles (Mar 11, 2012)

The target market is YA, and I finished it at 119k+. Still, I have just barely started editing, and I've managed to get rid of 5,000 words already, between things that have been cut and things that have been shortened or rewritten. I agree with Mr. Erwin that, above all, the story's needs come first. I don't think reaching 90k should be hard, but how much I shave will ultimately depend on what can or should be shaved off. In the end, the story always tells you how it wants to be written.

Oh, and thanks for the feedback, all of you!


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## sunaynaprasad (Mar 13, 2012)

119K sounds all right for a YA book. Many YA books are hundreds of pages long.


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## blyish (Mar 27, 2012)

100k+ is really long. Fantasy books often run that long, but other genres tend to be a bit shorter. A YA at that length? Might be a bit of a hard sell.


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## GSBAINS (Mar 30, 2012)

if a story is good enough, i think it is better to write it in its entirety, rather than trim it right down?


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