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I've been reading a ton of picture book manuscript lately and it has me thinking about word count, which is an issue I know comes up a lot and causes unnecessary anxiety. Some thoughts, in the hopes that it'll get you to stop worrying about it: #pbchat
The problem as I see it is that up-and-coming writers are asking the wrong question. The question shouldn't be: Is my word count correct? The question should be: Is my story well-paced?
As a writer, I never check word count. I literally have no idea how many words any of my own texts are. I couldn't even guess. 100? 1000? No clue.
As an editor, I also never check word count. It wouldn't even occur to me. When I start work on a text, my first task is to paginate it: How does the story flow? Does it drag anywhere? What lines make sense living in the same scene? What lines should move to the next one? Etc.
The big question when I'm editing is not: How long is it? It's: How is the pacing? If your ms is 1,000 words long and each one is perfection, then it's precisely the number of words it should be. If your ms is 100 words long and I can't get through it, it's 100 words too long.
I once had a face-to -face critique with a writer whose manuscript needed frankly a ton of work, on everything. And at the end of a long session of going over many details to work on, she looked up and said, "Okay, but how's my word count?"
And I know some will say there are rules. (PS: There aren't. Don't believe it.) But, I promise, an editor doesn't turn down a story because of the word count. An editor turns down a story because it goes on and on and wears you down, but that's not word count. That's pacing.
So don't waste the top line of your query (which I won't read anyway) - the most important line there is in your letter! - on telling me how long your manuscript is. That's not interesting. Hook me into the idea of your story instead.
Agents/editors are looking for great stories. Being under a made-up word limit doesn't mean you're any closer to getting there, so give it up. Stop worrying about things that don't matter and spend your time instead on pacing and making sure each word is vital and perfect. Write.
