He knew approximately how many words he had to write to complete his book. He set a goal, and he strove to accomplish that goal. And part of proving yourself is delivering a good story in a particular word count.ДЇinally, as we discuss the average word count for particular genres, letвЂ™s think for a moment about Mark TwainвЂ™s experience of a daily word count. You, as a beginning writer, need to prove yourself to readers. Readers have enjoyed their work for decades, so readers extend them much more trust. Yet their inherent contract with readers is different than yours. Rowling get these exceptions - because theyвЂ™ve made millions of dollars for publishers. To be clear, there are exceptions to every rule. This again is an inherent contract between the reader and writer.

So the thriller should be between about 75,000 and 90,000 words. And yet, sheвЂ™ll be able to finish the book fairly quickly. The romantic thriller will include some pulse-pounding action, character development (and an exciting romantic connection). When a businesswoman in the airport picks up a romantic thriller to read on the plane, she expects an escapist story that will take her out of her constrained travel arrangements for the next six hours or so. This is a kind of inherent contract: the reader expects one thing, and you as the writer deliver that experience. That means they expect the book to be between 20,000 and 50,000 words. For example, when a 12-year-old picks up a story that they are interested in, they expect to finish that book in about a week. Readers pick up a book with a specific idea about that book. However, if you want anyone else to read your story, itвЂ™s important to keep in mind the idea of a contract with your reader. You could write a trilogy - even a decalogy! You could go on for hundreds of thousands of words. If you have a brilliant idea, you probably know that you could write about this story for decades. This post outlines the basic word count length for fifteen genres of writing. To sell your book in the current market, you should pay close attention to these word count lengths and tailor your book to the market. An adult novel would not be under 40,000 words, while nonfiction business books typically are in between those two counts. A childrenвЂ™s book, for example, would never go above 100,000 words, except in unique circumstances. Today, in our current publishing market, particular genres of book are constrained to specific word-count lengths. Other writers - like Lord Byron - established their fame by telling stories in poems of under 10,000 words! In the 1800s, Anthony TrollopeВ was famous for writing many hundreds of thousands of words in his books. Ernest Hemingway wrote The Old Man and the Sea as a short 27,000 word book. Tolkien was originally one book with 576,459 words. Writers have made their reputation with works of variable length. As youвЂ™ve read in my article about writersвЂ™ daily word production, many famous authors measure their writing progress by tallying up every word they write. The infographic also includes epic novels such as Ulysses, Bleak House, War and Peace, Les Miserables, and Gone With the Wind.ДЇor shorter reads, take a look at the works of George Orwell, Charles Dickens, Ray Bradbury, and Ernest Hemingway.Д®ven if you donвЂ™t give a darn about the word count of these famous books, this infographic can add new titles to your reading list.Professional writers measure their progress word by word. On another note, have you ever thought about just how many words there are in your favorite books? I found an infographic showing the word count of famous books, and itвЂ™s interesting to see the comparison.

How about you? How do you fare when it comes to word count? I think thatвЂ™s experience doing the magic there. I have that word count in mind as a general rule, but I just write and for some reason, IвЂ™m lucky to end up in the range of the required number. To be honest, while I always take into consideration every clientвЂ™s requirement for the number of words, I am not too bothered. Still, for some, word count doesnвЂ™t really matter. For others, making sure that they donвЂ™t go over the word count can be a chore (especially if their editor is strict about not going over that number). That often dreaded, while at the same time appreciated, element of freelance writing.ДЇor some content writers or bloggers, hitting their word count is a pain.

Famous books word count