I'm writing my first serious novel and I have 155 pages with 60,000 words. I'm wondering whether this is normal. I still want to write at least another 100 pages or more, but I don't want to write too much or publishers won't even look at it. My novel is fiction and more of a teen read than an adult. So, do I have too much for the amount of pages I have written? If so, what is the average I should be at?
2 Answers
Don't worry about the number of pages, that is dependent on the way the eventual book is typeset.
The question you want to ask, as the writer, is "do I have too many words (or too few) for the amount of story I have written." It's perfectly possible to use too many words to tell too little story, or too few words to tell too much, but the number of pages is the typesetter's problem.
When you eventually want to submit the manuscript to a publisher/agent they will let you know via their submission guidelines how they want the text formatted – for example: double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with inch-wide margins – and this will determine the ratio of words to pages.
Word count matters.
Here are some posts about what word counts are acceptable for which genre and age group:
- http://literaticat.blogspot.ca/2011/05/wordcount-dracula.html
- http://www.literaryrejections.com/word-count/
- http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/word-count-for-novels-and-childrens-books-the-definitive-post
New writers should stay within those limits. Only if you are a bestselling author will publishers accept manuscripts that are much longer or shorter.
If you can simply add words to your story, then you are writing it wrong.
If your hero has solved his quest, then you cannot simply add another quest (this would be another book) or cut a supporting character.
It is very rare that a story of a certain type cannot be told within the word count limits given in the posts linked above. If your story is longer or shorter, very likely there is either something missing or something that needs to be deleted.
Tell your story as it needs to be told, and the word count will most likeyl be right.