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11-26-2007, 11:35 AM
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#1
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Profound Writer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,201
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How to word count?
I was told not to use the word count in word so how do you know how many words you have? Do you go by pages? I was also told that agents like about 250 words per page, but that's hard to do with some dialogue.
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11-26-2007, 11:55 AM
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#2
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Addict
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Rotterdam
Gender: Male
Posts: 105
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What do you mean you can't use the word in "count" in word (the computer program)?
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In Vino Veritas
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11-26-2007, 12:05 PM
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#3
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Writing Machine
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: East Coast, US
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,787
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Quote:
Originally Posted by terrib
I was told not to use the word count in word so how do you know how many words you have? Do you go by pages? I was also told that agents like about 250 words per page, but that's hard to do with some dialogue.
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For what reason? Is it inaccurate?
Agents also like bestsellers.
Do one page--see how many words (use WORD if you have to) count another few pages. Use the law of averages.
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"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day."
E. B. White
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11-26-2007, 12:24 PM
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#4
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Profound Writer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: St. Louis, Missouri
Gender: Female
Posts: 1,201
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Most novels are roughly 80,000 to 100,000 words. Anything I don’t mention here should be within that range, give or take 5,000 words. And by the way, when I think word count I think 250 words per double-spaced page with one-inch margins. That’s the way most publishers look at word count. Using Microsoft Word’s count could mess you up since three words of dialogue technically takes up a full line, and word count is about production costs.
This was posted on a blog so I'm trying to understand how to word count.
Last edited by terrib : 11-26-2007 at 12:27 PM.
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11-26-2007, 12:26 PM
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#5
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Location, Location
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,673
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Quote:
Originally Posted by terrib
I was told not to use the word count in word
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Eh? Who told you that?
I use the word count in word and nobody's ever quibbled it with me. Sounds like a mammamaiamyth?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Olly Buckle
The ways of the world are twisty and unknowable, the only way to be sure you are not caught out in something you regret is not to do things you may regret . |
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11-26-2007, 12:31 PM
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#6
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Addict
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Rotterdam
Gender: Male
Posts: 105
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Now it makes sense!
Word count in Word could pump up expenses for a publisher.
I feel like I've just had an epil.. epa... epif... a revelation!
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In Vino Veritas
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11-26-2007, 01:00 PM
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#7
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Addict
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Way up in the mountains
Gender: Male
Posts: 159
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Quote:
Originally Posted by terrib
I was told not to use the word count in word
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I've heard this argument before, and it's basically bunk. Use the word count software. Yes, some pages will have more words than others, but if you use standard submission formatting, it'll all balance out to roughly 250 w/p. Besides, many editors can pretty much tell how many words a story has just by riffling through the manuscript. Screwing with the word count just to make your piece look more attractive at first glance is bad form.
Use word count, round to the nearest hundred (or fifty, if you've got a short short), and leave it at that.
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Sors, immanis
Et inanis
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11-27-2007, 06:15 AM
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#8
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Ink Slinger
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Somewhere where you lot aren't.
Gender: Male
Posts: 4,539
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Quote:
Originally Posted by smilinghelps
Agents also like bestsellers.
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Har. Har. Har.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BOURBON
unfortunately, Oxikins, a grown up sense of humour is wasted in this kindergarten...
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