Word count matters when it comes to having your writing published. With the exception of poetry, if your preparing to submit to an agent or editor they'll want to know what your proposed or actual word count is. As you're writing it's good to keep this in mind. Knowing that you may have to revise your work many times over anyway, don't assume that because you've written a 500-page novel with a gazillion words that none of it will be cut. This doesn't mean that some books aren't the exception to the rule (ie.
Harry Potter). But if your novel or memoir doesn't call for all of those extra words, it's best to revise and save all of your various versions.
Writing forever into infinity with no goal in mind can put you in a precarious position when it comes to submitting your work. If you don't take the time to edit your work down to meet the acceptable word count range, it could be more work for an agent or editor who would rather consider a writer who has done the proper work.
Check out fiction genre word count rules.
Nathan Bransford on novel word counts.
Comments