To all out there looking to ask questions on writing - this forum is for you.
And for the people with all the answers on writing.
Post here and your questions will be answered!
(Please note that all questions and answers will be approved promptly once you post them. I have set this up to prevent spamming).
And for the people with all the answers on writing.
Post here and your questions will be answered!
(Please note that all questions and answers will be approved promptly once you post them. I have set this up to prevent spamming).
A question from my writers group: How many words in a novel?
ReplyDeleteStandard popular fiction for adults seems to be 70,000 to 120,000. More for fantasy, less for YA and some romance.
However, if you are already an established author you have a fair amount of leeway depending on discussions with your publisher.
Most agents and publishers look for manuscripts to be around 85,000. But bare in mind that it's not the amount of words, but how you've put them together. Too many words and it looks like you may have rambled on in your book. Too few and your not able to sustain a story.
In the end it is up to you if you decide to stray from the norm in size of your manuscript, but just bare in mind that if you do, then you reduce your chances of being picked up.
Check this site out:
http://bookendslitagency.blogspot.com/2009/07/word-count.html
More info:
http://www.agentquery.com/format_tips.aspx
http://www.kopek-publishing.com/how-many-words.htm
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2008/02/novel-word-count.html
As you can see, there are many opinions out there!
A question from my writing group (2): What about going the self publishing route to a printed book?
ReplyDeleteFirst you need to find a printing company that will print you 50-500 books at a low cost but still deliver quality bound books. Oh, and I should mention that this is assuming you have finished the book and have a print ready PDF, or at worst a MS Word document.
Once you check over the proof (rough-copy of a physical final product) they have supplied you, you will sign it off as okay. They will then print you your finished bound books of what ever quantity you decided on. Make sure you include the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) Check this site out for an explanation: http://www.nla.gov.au/services/ISBN.html or http://www.thebookconsultant.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=240 and this for more on EAN13 barcodes: http://www.bookpublisherscompared.com/bar-code/
One more: http://www.athleticaid.com/yaquinapress/barcode/index.html
Hunt down a place in your country that can supply you with one as either a vector file, which you can place into your book through your desktop publishing program. Or a sticker that you can stick onto each of your books.
But, make sure you check a sample first with a bar code reader at a bookstore/distributor. You don’t want to get something printed and find it doesn’t work!
Now comes the hard part: Bookstores don’t want to ring YOU if they are going to make an order, they want to ring a distribution company. Which is what they already do for the majority of their books (although this will differ from independent stores to chain stores to privately owned chain stores).
So now you need to find a distributor that’s happy to have a box of your books sitting in their warehouse with your ISBN on each one. Your business details will stay with the distribution company, so you will of course need a business identification number (ABN if in Australia).
At this point you will strike up a deal with the distribution company regarding what they make if a book is bought buy a book store. How much you make from each sale will depend on what the distributor is willing to part with - don’t be too strict on the deal; they’re your only hope! This is a venture to get your book and your name out there, not to make millions of dollars.
The distribution company will then take care of invoices, distribution (obviously), phone calls, etc. Plus it will appear more professional to your buyers. Lastly, you will need to have a brochure printed up (We Print It have some good prices, or use the same company that printed your bound books). This brochure will be what you arm yourself with when visiting all the stores in your area.
The brochure will show the front cover of your book, retail price, synopsis, the distributors details and maybe some details about you. If you are unsure of what to put on your brochure, walk into a book store and look at their brochures that advertise their books. Then model yours on the same wavelength but with only your book on the front.
When you arrive at a book store, ask to speak to the manager and show them the brochure. If they seem interested in your book then you may be able to sell them a copy/s right there and then and not use the distributor for that particular sale. Or if you don’t mind parting with a sample, give them a book and tell them you’ll visit again in a week to pick it back up, and they can make a purchase after they've read it. Or, during that week they can call the distributor instead and order copies if they want to have it in their store before you return.
You can also post off the brochures to book stores that are not within driving distance, in and around your country and possibly even follow it up with a phone call to the manager to make sure the brochure was received.
When visiting a bookstore, try and be there when the manager is there. You will find that he/she is there most days, but will have two days off during the week. You can ring up before hand and make sure they will be there, or just turn up on a Monday, they are there most first days of the week.