The question

[TheEarl]

Don't alert MG, it isn't that question. The question is this: What is the minimum number of words that you would consider to be a novel. Just curious, because my Lit story that turned into a short story, that turned into a long story, that turned into a serial story, that turned into a novella has shown worrying possibilities of noveldom.

Just wondering.

The Earl

PS. Like buses; haven't posted for weeks and now three come along at once.

 

[Guest]

Hey, sweets . This has been asked before and there are a variety of answers but basically 100K words gets you a short novel of around 200 pp.

Be good,

Pear

 

[KillerMuffin]

40,000 by the usual word count (not word processor count). This is the smallest I've ever seen a book publisher put out.

The usual beginner novel is generally published at 55,000 to 70,000 words.

 

[TheEarl]

Oh. Still a little way to go then (privately recategorises big project back down from 'verging on novel').

The Earl

 

[shereads]

As a consumer, I judge by thickness.

A "novelette" is about 1/4 inch thick.

A novel should be at least 3/4 inch.

Length isn't everything.

 

[MaxSebastian]

Talking to a publisher the other week, readers don't much like less than 60,000 words in a novel. Apparently they want value for money. But what about the quality? How dare they, etc.

 

[TheEarl]

Inside Source (Erotic Couplings) - Government whistleblower risks everything, but finds love

Sorry, completely off-topic. I don't have time to look, but please someone tell me this isn't a celebrity story involving Dr David Kelly?

<watches as the Americans go 'huh?'>

The Earl

 

[minsue]

Huh?

 

[shereads]

Huh?


(Just trying to be cooperative.)

 

[minsue]

She -

You get the feeling we're too easy?

- Mindy

Edited to include 'Dita in that question

 

[Guest]

Earl, it's your thread, you can go off-topic. So, huh?

Pear

p.s. you'd better write or call and tell me what you're doing for Valentine's Day, sweetheart.

 

[MaxSebastian]

I don't have time to look, but please someone tell me this isn't a celebrity story involving Dr David Kelly?

I don't have time to look, but please someone tell me this guy isn't a fucking prick since he has been given no reason whatsoever to dismiss someone else's hard work with such an offensive comment like this, but still feels the need to.

 

[wildsweetone]

Max, did you forget you wrote that story?

Okay I'm teasing. Now behave yourself. The Earl is a nice guy, just as you are.

For those who don't know about Dr David Kelly, here's his obituary from The Guardian:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,1001459,00.html

 

[snooper]

As a consumer, I judge by thickness.

A "novelette" is about 1/4 inch thick.

A novel should be at least 3/4 inch.

Length isn't everything.

You don't get a lot of electrons in three quarters of an inch in e-publishing. I'm not sure that many words would count.

Let's see:

c= 300,000 kps so .75inches is about 16 times 10^^9 per second

dialup is 46kbps so call that, with editing and in word, 4,600 words/second so we have nearly 3 times 10^^-5 words.

That sounds a bit short to me, three ten-thousandths of a word!

 

[MathGirl]

Originally posted by snooper You don't get a lot of electrons in three quarters of an inch

Ain't it amazing what a little mathematics can do for us?
MG