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| Tips & Advice Share your tips, tricks and advice. |
06-18-2008, 09:40 AM
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#1
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Scribe
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 53
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How Long? Someone please anwer this
Tow quick questions about writing:
1) How long should a romance novel be? Is 200 pages too short for a romance novel?
2) When typing your novel, what font should you use? 12 or 14?
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06-18-2008, 09:45 AM
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#2
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Scribe
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: England
Gender: Private
Posts: 84
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I may be wrong but I think it doesn't matter how many pages it is, what matters is word count, and from what I remember I think an average novel is about 50 - 120 thousand words, so if it's that long you should be okay. As for typing, it's usually size 12 if you use a font like Times New Roman.
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06-18-2008, 10:03 AM
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#3
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Location, Location
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,376
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Don't worry about page-count unless you're self-publishing. Think in terms of word-count.
It would be unusual for a novel as short as 50k words to be published nowadays (though it does still happen).
The more usual length is in the 75k-125k range, but can be up to 200k for genres where longer novels are preferred (e.g. fantasy). Longer than that you have two novels.
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06-18-2008, 10:25 AM
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#4
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Scribe
Join Date: Mar 2008
Posts: 53
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Ok
Ok so how many words are 200 pages? and is the word count for 200 pages too short? Mitch alborn's novel was only 200 pages and it selled....right? (lol)
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06-18-2008, 10:33 AM
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#5
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Location, Location
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,376
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I answered your PM, but seriously: don't worry about that. Let the page layout people worry about it. All you have to do is to tell a story.
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06-18-2008, 03:55 PM
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#6
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Adept Writer
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Bonnie Scotland
Gender: Female
Posts: 778
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I know Mills & Boons look for 50k manuscripts, so I'd imagine most other publishers would be around the same number too
__________________
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06-18-2008, 04:36 PM
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#7
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Best Seller
Join Date: Aug 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 504
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Standard romance novel length is 50,000 to 75,000.
__________________
I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: "No good in a bed, but fine against a wall." --- Eleanor Roosevelt
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06-18-2008, 04:48 PM
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#8
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Location, Location
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,376
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Oh! I'm going to write a romance, then.
*pulls out Roget's and starts looking for synonyms for "swoon"*
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06-18-2008, 06:49 PM
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#9
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Best Seller
Join Date: Aug 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 504
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Don't forget the heaving boosoms and creamy thighs. Those are important.
__________________
I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: "No good in a bed, but fine against a wall." --- Eleanor Roosevelt
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06-18-2008, 07:15 PM
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#10
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Moderator
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Location, Location
Gender: Male
Posts: 3,376
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*makes notes*
Are they as important as the pearly white teeth?
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06-18-2008, 09:50 PM
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#11
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Best Seller
Join Date: Aug 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 504
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Yes, and fluttering lashes and and a blush that puts roses to shame.
__________________
I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: "No good in a bed, but fine against a wall." --- Eleanor Roosevelt
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06-19-2008, 12:41 AM
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#12
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Scribe
Join Date: Feb 2007
Posts: 59
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I don't think you quite understand how the business works. You count words, not pages. Also, MS format is pretty simple: - Monospaced font (10 or 12 pt)
- Page breaks for new chapters
- Cover page
- Scene breaks
etc...
I suggest you research the topic, as many publishers will send your MS right back if it's incorrectly formatted.
Assuming you include a SASE...
Last edited by ActivateMyAccount : 06-19-2008 at 12:43 AM.
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06-19-2008, 11:42 AM
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#13
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Wordsmith
Join Date: May 2007
Location: On islands
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,842
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And odd-colored eyes, don't forget. You run into a chick with gray or violet eyes and you better better bet she can swoon and heave on a moment's notice.
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06-19-2008, 11:45 AM
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#14
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Wordsmith
Join Date: May 2007
Location: On islands
Gender: Male
Posts: 7,842
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I decided if I write a romance it will involve a sexually frustrated, menopausal, overweight suburban woman who eats chocolates while trying to write a romance novel, but alas, without luck.
When suddenly her typing is interupted by a knock at the door. It's a dashing young man with no shirt, the bearing of a horseman, and an air of the sea about him. He looks into her grey-violet eyes and urgently whispers, "You need to come with me, right now."
She refuses, of course. But....
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06-19-2008, 12:25 PM
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#15
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Best Seller
Join Date: Aug 2007
Gender: Female
Posts: 504
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The devil is in the details -- he also has to have an intirguing scar just above his left eye and a heart of gold.
What? No not the heart of gold that Zaphod Beeblebrox had. Now you're just being silly.
__________________
I had a rose named after me and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: "No good in a bed, but fine against a wall." --- Eleanor Roosevelt
Last edited by RomanticRose : 06-19-2008 at 12:33 PM.
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