How Long Should My Manuscript Be?

By: Carla Trueheart

Before submitting a manuscript to an agent or publishing house, one of the first things you should do, after final edits and revisions, is make sure your word count fits your genre. This is not always a simple task, as you may be tempted to go over the word count, or perhaps you are stuck under the word count. Still, this is an important factor when an agent or publisher looks at your work. Believe it or not, it might just make the difference between whether they request more of your project or they pass. Word counts are not tricky when it comes to understanding certain genre requirements, but it does get tricky when attempting to be precise in word count. 

Certain genres have certain expectations. In general (and I will provide a quick breakdown below), you should be between 80,000 - 90,000 words for general fiction. Definitely not over 100,000 words, especially for a first-time author. This word count expectation includes romance, horror, thrillers, crime, westerns, LGBT, mystery, and most mainstream adult fiction. Things change a bit with fantasy and sci-fi, as with world-building, these genres allow a little more leeway when it comes to word count. You can go a bit higher, but not too much. YA in general should be a lower word count than adult fiction, and children’s fiction, lower still. Literary fiction also allows a bit longer of a word count, but not too much more than general fiction. 

So what do you do if you go over the word count? You can try to submit the project and take your chances, provided you’re not too far over the recommended word count for your genre. After all, Twilight was picked up by an agent and was way past the normal word count for YA fiction. The best course of action, however, is to revise until you’re closer. Alternately, you might consider making your manuscript a two-book series. If you go this route, you will need to find a complete break in the manuscript, one that makes sense and includes a climax and a conclusion. There is nothing worse than reading a to-be-continued book that does not give a clear ending of some kind.

If you’re under the manuscript word count, this is a bit easier to rectify. Simply add more to your story, fill in with details, backgrounds, setting information, or anything else you feel the manuscript might be lacking. You might also consider having a trusted friend who is a reader or editor look over your work and determine where the work needs fluffing. Remember, however, not to add narrative for the sake of adding to the final word count. Generally, if the word count is too far under, the story needs more attention to plot and theme. 

Remember that agents and publishers almost always ask for word counts. This is so they can determine if the work needs major editing and/or fits the expected word counts for a genre. Unfortunately, it is also used to gauge your writing ability in some cases. If you’re a new author and your manuscript is 150,000 words, you have probably not mastered the fine art of editing (and in their eyes, writing as well). The same is true for writing below the word count. Basically, it’s a red flag you don’t want to raise, either way. 

Here is a list of manuscript word counts that should be helpful to you, as well as a quick visual aid:

General Fiction: 80,000 - 90,000

(includes romance, mystery, thriller, horror, LGBT, westerns, crime, women’s fiction)

Fantasy and Sci-Fi: 100,000 or even a touch higher is normally okay, unless it’s YA or children’s

Literary Fiction: 80,000 - 100,000

YA: 60,000 - 80,000

Middle Grade: 40,000 - 55,000

Children’s: 20,000 - 35,000

Again, going slightly over or under should not be a problem in most cases. If your romance novel ends up at 92,000 words, it should still be fine to present to agents. If your YA novel ends up at 101,000 words, however, you have a problem to address. Remember that more pages equals more printing paper, which equals more expense for a publisher who might not be so keen to take a chance and risk that much money on a new author. Keeping the recommended word counts in mind should put you on the right track toward publication!

I hope this helps. Please don’t hesitate to contact us/comment for more information or with questions!

By: Carla Trueheart 

Dealing with Rejection in the Publishing World

By: Carla Trueheart 

Whether you’re a new writer or an established writer, sooner or later, you are going to have to deal with rejection in the publishing world. Unfortunately, it’s part of the process, but that knowledge does little to ease the pain of rejection. As writers, we often read stories about famous authors who have been rejected in the past, like Stephen King and J.K. Rowling, but when it comes down to receiving that dreaded email in our inbox, we are still hit with the punch of rejection on a personal level. We wonder if we’re any good as a writer, what could possibly have been wrong with our work, and why the intended agent or publisher did not connect with our project. If we thought we were sending to a sure-thing, or worse, we sent in a full manuscript after a request from an agent or publisher, we might even shed a tear or two.

It’s important to remember that most agents and publishers don’t want us to take the rejection personally. There are many, many reasons why your work might have been rejected, and since the publishing industry is a business, it might not come down to your writing or even your idea. At the time, the plot or theme might not be what is selling, or the market might be flooded with works similar to your own. An agent might have too many projects on their list and not need your additional project at the time. The publisher might not know what genre would best suit your work, and therefore, pass on the manuscript. If you’re sending out shorter works or poetry, it could come down to limited space in a journal, an abundance of submittals, or even the editor being in a bad mood when they read your story or poem. Basically, we have to remember that there are many other factors to consider.

So then, what to do when you receive a rejection? First of all, take a breath. Remember that there are many other opportunities, and that you are NOT a bad writer. You came this far, completed a project, and have a dream you’re attempting to fulfill. For all of those reasons, you need to keep going. Toss the rejection aside, wipe away the bruise, and send your project elsewhere. The best and most famous writers are the ones who not only kept learning about their craft, but also were persistent even when the odds were against them. Keep in mind that someone will eventually connect with your work and that you will eventually get where you’d like to be. And besides, you don’t really want to work with an agent or publisher who does not champion your work. Finding the right fit takes time, but it will happen.

 One last thing to remember is that publishing, at this stage of the game, is not a quick business. Some authors get lucky and publish after a year or two, but for others, it could take up to ten years or more. While waiting for your golden moment, keep working on new projects, perfecting the project you’re trying to sell, and revising your query/cover letter as needed. Keep reading books and learning about writing. Stay positive and assured. And when you finally get that “yes” reply, wherever you land, it will feel like it was meant to be all along. 

By: Carla Trueheart

Researching for Novels

By: Emrald Sethna

Historical fiction is fun to read and write. After all, you get a glimpse into the past, whether that be involving time travel or characters living out their lives in an alternative history to the one we know of. However, absorbing readers into realistic depictions of the past is not always an easy feat. Depending on the era or year you delve into, you might have to consider cultural differences, community opinions towards certain subjects, familial roles, fashion, and even popular language. There is quite a bit you might have to take into account. What is the best way to learn of these historical elements? Well, Google of course.

There are several websites you can visit that offer you detailed insight into the life of people and great events taking place in the era you wish to learn about. Here are some examples of wonderful sites to research with:

For information about preferred hairstyles throughout history: http://www.crystalinks.com/hair.history.html

Local Histories tell stories of a country and culture's past, like the following page about the history of India: http://www.localhistories.org/india.html

History Magazine also posts great articles about life in different time periods, as shown in this article discussing interesting facts about life in the 1500s: http://www.history-magazine.com/facts.html

There are many websites devoted to relaying information about history, and they are available to you to explore and learn from. All you need to do is type in the era you wish to research—or a specific element of the era, such as roles of women in society during that time—in a Google search. You'll be amazed by all the facts you read, facts that you can mention and include in your historical fiction. It's important to help your readers engage in the plot and be absorbed into your story.  

If you ever need help with researching, comment below and send us a message. We are here to help!

Happy writing!

by: Emrald Sethna