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How to know if your book is the right length

Published on August 4, 2016November 22, 2017 by Jean M. Cogdell19 Comments

The words come and the words go, but where do we stop, I don’t know.

Some days I’m ready to stop after one paragraph. Other days I think the story will be a saga the likes of War and Peace. Not! But truth be told, I just hope to write something somewhere in the middle. A story that a few people, other than my family, will enjoy reading.

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Then there is the question, how long or short is enough?

Apparently, it depends on the genre. I’ve written about this before, but it seems I’ve more to learn.

This article Word Count for Novels and Children’s Books: The Definitive Post By Chuck Sambuchino breaks it down by genre.

Like with most “rules,” there are exceptions. However, if you’re the least bit like me, you like to have a general goal to shoot for.

So here’s a cheat sheet for you!

Literary novel: 80,000-90,000 good average.
Memoir: Same as Literary Novel.
Short Stories: 1,000-25,000
Novellas: 25,000 – 55,000 words, over 55k you’re so close you might as well expand it into a novel.
Literary saga: 100,000-110,000 (over that and you might want to consider a series.)
Science fiction and fantasy: 90,000-100,000 on average. However, some can go to 115,000. Readers expect this genre to be lengthy.
Westerns: 50,000-80,000 is the range for this genre, so aim for the middle.
Middle grade is a bit tricky. Depending on age and subject matter, shoot for 20,000– 55,000. Younger kids = lower word count. Older teens = higher word count.
Young Adult (YA) genre, according to Chuck gives the writer more flexibility. Somewhere in the 55,000-70,000 range is a safe bet. Science fiction or fantasy can go a bit longer.
Children’s Picture Books: Standard is 32 pages and no more than 500 words.

LitRejections Word Count Genre Guidelines

What is the Ideal Word Count for a Novel? by CG Blake

Ask The Agent: Your Novel Word Count Guide and More! BY BREE OGDEN

How close are you to reaching the right word count for your genre?

Do you worry about “word count” or just write?

I’d love to hear from you! Leave me a comment or click the “write me” tab. You can also follow me on Twitter @jeancogdell,Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on, and I’m waiting.

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Do you want something light, fun and romantic?

Published on July 29, 2016July 24, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell2 Comments

Temps here in Dallas hit the century mark last weekend. Bursting_Thermometer__Arvin61r58-300px

Weekends I decompress and reload my brain cells. Often I read one or two books just for fun. No studying how to be a better blogger or writer. I read just read for the sake of reading.

Last weekend was like one the perfect time to curl up with a light, fun book. No one wants a heavy meal when the heat index is 105.

If you’re a Jane Austen fan, or like light, romance you might enjoy My Own Mr. Darcy by Karey White.

I can’t imagine many of us who didn’t get all mushy over Pride and Prejudice during our high school years. Ms. White lets us relive those feelings but also takes it a step further when her main character becomes obsessed with finding her real-life Mr. Darcy.

I debated back and forth between 4-5 stars but settled on 4 because of how Amazon defines 5 (loved it.) I really, really enjoyed My Mister Darcy. It was perfect for a hot, sunny summer afternoon.This romantic, nostalgic book will thrill Bridget Jones fans. It’s light, fun, and a quick read.

Karey White did Jane Austen proud with this well-written story about a naive, romantic young woman who refuses to give up on her dreams of happily ever after. Sigh…

When do you find time to read for pleasure?

Read any good books lately? Do tell.

I’d love to hear from you! Click the “write me” tab or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

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Everyone needs a little applause now and again

Published on July 18, 2016July 14, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell4 Comments

The encouragement and help of so many writers and readers have helped to make me a better writer. I would have probably thrown in the towel by now without it. So, today I’d like to pay it forward.

Let’s give a big hand of encouragement to Jacqui Murray, author of the popular Building a Midshipman, who is revealing the cover of her new book.

To Hunt a Sub

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The USS Hampton SSN 767 quietly floated unseen a hundred fifty-two feet below the ocean’s surface. Despite its deadly nuclear tipped arsenal of Trident missiles, its task for the past six months has been reconnaissance and surveillance. The biggest danger the crew faced was running out of olives for their pizza. That all changed one morning, four days before the end of the Hampton’s tour. Halfway through the Captain’s first morning coffee, every system in the submarine shut down. No navigation, no communication, and no defensive measures. Within minutes, the sub began a terrifying descent through the murky grays and blacks of the deep Atlantic and settled to the ocean floor five miles from Cuba and perilously close to the sub’s crush depth. When it missed its mandated contact, an emergency call went out to a retired Navy Intel officer, Zeke Rowe, top of his field before a botched mission left him physically crippled and psychologically shaken. Rowe quickly determined that the sub was the victim of a cyber virus secreted inside the sub’s top secret operating systems. What Rowe couldn’t figure out was who did it or how to stop it sinking every other submarine in the American fleet.

Kali Delamagente is a struggling, over-the-hill grad student who entered a DARPA cyber security competition as a desperate last hope to fund a sophisticated artificial intelligence she called Otto. Though her presentation imploded, she caught the attention of two people: a terrorist intent on destroying America and a rapt Dr. Zeke Rowe. An anonymous blank check to finish her research is quickly followed by multiple break-ins to her lab, a hack of her computer, the disappearance of her three-legged dog, and finally the kidnapping of her only son.

By all measures, Rowe and Delamagente are an unlikely duo. Rowe believes in brawn and Delamagente brains. To save the America they both love, they find a middle ground, guided by the wisdom of a formidable female who died two million years ago.

Book information:

Title and author: To Hunt a Sub by J. Murray

Release Date: August, 2016 by Structured Learning

Genre: Thriller

Preview: Available on Kindle Scout

Cover by: Paper and Sage Design

Author bio:

Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to the United States Naval Academy. She is the author/editor of over a hundred books on integrating tech into education, adjunct professor of technology in education, webmaster for four blogs, an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer, a columnist for TeachHUB, Editorial Review Board member for Journal for Computing Teachers, monthly contributor to Today’s Author and a freelance journalist on tech Ed topics. Her debut novel, To Hunt a Sub, launches this summer. You can find her nonfiction books at her publisher’s website, Structured Learning.

Are you having a launch soon? Do let us know!

I’d love to hear from you! Click the write me tab or contact me on Twitter @jeancogdell, Facebook at jean.cogdell and Amazon.com, stop by and say hey! The lights are on and I’m waiting.

Please remember to share this post with your Twitter peeps and Facebook Facebook fans.

Do you want a creepy and disturbing book?

Published on July 8, 2016July 7, 2016 by Jean M. Cogdell3 Comments

If you are squeamish,

don’t read:

The Butterfly Garden

4,203 customer reviews

The book is written in two different POV’s, the FBI investigating the crimes and one of a surviving victim. The author hooked me from the beginning. Changing point of views made perfect sense as the story unfolds. I had no problem following what was happening. It is a dark, disturbing, methodical and well-written story. I usually can’t finish a book that deals with sexual violence because I find the subject distasteful and hard to stomach but I couldn’t put down The Butterfly Garden. I finished this book in one day, not because I didn’t know how it was going to end, but because I wanted to hear the rest of the victim’s story. So, if you are the least bit squeamish about the treatment of women, you may want to take a pass. However, if you can handle the subject, the writing is worth the journey. This is one book that will keep you up all night.

Dot Hutchinson kept me turning the pages late into the night and the story haunted me long after I turned out the light. The Butterfly Garden gets 5 Stars from me. It is available now, for FREE through KindleUnlimited.