Why Word Count Should No Longer Matter
An old-school publishing rule that needs to change
It’s one of the more overlooked details of getting your book published. The number of words of your manuscript is always asked when you’re submitting your work. The publisher wants to know. Why? Sales. The issue of word count has far more to do with the world of marketing and selling than the world of writing or storytelling.
Most publishers want a novel of at least 70,000 words. Two reasons: 1) More words, more pages, bigger spine. They can show off the book title better on a shelf. 2) Publishing research shows that readers see a slim book as “not worth the price.” Bigger is more value. But too big? That’s intimidating. There’s a word count sweet spot that leads to a page number sweet spot. The more pages the bigger the book.
But here’s why these two parameters make no sense anymore.
I love my indie bookstore. I support it. I want it to thrive. But the truth is, most book buying these days does not happen at a bookstore. Whether you like it or not, it happens online. So, that old-school rule of having a big spine to show off the title is no longer relevant. Also, a bigger book appears to be a better value? Really? One of the greatest novels so all time is just over 47,000 words. That’s it. I have never heard anyone complain that The Great Gatsby was…
