Word Count for Writers: Picture Books, Middle Grade, Young Adult and More

 

Word Count/Page Count and More

If you're a writer just starting out, you might have a lot of questions. Some might involve craft, how to create a story, how to develop a character or just how to even begin the process. I'll try to cover those issues over the next few months but I wanted to start with some basic information today about "required" Word Count/Page Length in books.

"Required" is a loaded word because some people say the word count is whatever it takes to tell the story. That might be true in a creative sense but, if you eventually want to get your book published, you'll want to follow some general guidelines that will make your book more attractive to agents, editors and publishers. 

I have looked at publishing links, agent blogs and expert recommendations to gather some basic guidelines to follow. Here’s what I’ve found:

WORD COUNT:

Board Books should be no more than 100 words

Early Picture Books should be a maximum of 400 words

Picture Books should be up to 600 words

Nonfiction Picture Books can be longer at 3,000 words max, but try to keep it closer to 1,000 to 2,000 words

Early Readers are 1,500 words is the max

Chapter Books vary widely based on the audience but usually they start at 4,000 words and max out at 15,000 words

(Additional information according to Scholastic)

Middle Grade Books are for kids in 3^rd-6^th grade with age ranges of 6-11 years.

Word Count Length: 30-50K words

Young Adult Books: are for kids in 7-12^th grade with age ranges of 12-18 years.   

Word Count Length: 50-75K words

PAGE COUNT:

Chapter Books are typically 35-65 pages 

Low-Middle Grade Books are 45-90 pages

General Middle Grade Books are 90-120 pages

Young Adult Books are 150-200 pages

And, if you’re curious about chapter length, check out Mary Kole’s 2017 blog post: Children'sBook Manuscript Chapter Length | Kidlit

Helpful links:

FrequentlyAsked Questions about Children's Writing (writing-world.com)

According to Writing World  FrequentlyAsked Questions about Children's Writing (writing-world.com)

According to Mary Kole at ManuscriptLength: How Long Should a Children's Book Be? | Kidlit:

(According to Writing World: www.writing-world.com/children/FAQ.shtml)

Flosstube Episode 6 - If the Hat Fits

Halloween is just around the corner...at least  when it comes to cross-stitching.

We're sisters who are trying to relearn some of the things we thought were fun...when we were young...er.

It's been a long time since we were crafting together but it sure is fun to spend time relaxing (almost) sometimes  we have to frog things and this was one of those  time. But, it's always fun to do something we love together.

I hope you'll join us on our creative journey. And, if you do, please share your journey in the comments below. 

Beginning artist Pencil and charcoal sketch

During the pandemic, I had to find ways to spend my extra time. So, I took up art. Something I have always enjoyed but never have taken any classes to be able to do. Anyway, I know I'm not very good but I'm learning a lot this year and I'm enjoying the quiet peaceful time I spend sketching and/or painting. 

If you are a beginning artist too, please comment below, so I can check out your stuff. We newbies need to band together and encourage each other to keep on going when we aren't happy with what we've done...yet. :D

Anyway, I've included a short video which shows my process. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope you all have an artful life.

Writerly Wednesday - Don't Feel Rejected - or at least you're in GREAT company

 

A Short History of Rejections for When You’re Feeling Rejected

1) Chicken Soup for the Soul was rejected 144 times before it was picked up and became a runaway best-selling book.

2) Madeleine L’ Engle’s novel, A Wrinkle In Time was rejected 29 times.

3) Lisa Genova’s novel, Still Alice, was rejected more than 100 times, and she went to self-publish, carrying books in the trunk of her car. Her book then went on to be a best-seller and a popular movie starring Julianne Moore, who was nominated for an Academy Award for her portrayal of Alice.

4) The Tale of Peter Rabbit was turned down so many times, Beatrix Potter eventually self-published the beloved story.

5) Ursula LeGuin’s novel The Left Hand of Darkness was rejected as being “endlessly complicated…hopelessly bogged down…and unreadable.” 

6) Kathryn Stockett’s novel, The Help was rejected from 60 agents before it was picked and turned into a best-selling novel and film.

7) One of Louisa May Alcott’s rejections of Little Women, included this quip: “Stick to teaching.”

8) In response to Moby Dick, Peter J. Bentley, of Bentley & Son Publishing, asked Herman Melville, “Does it have to be a whale?” 

9) Alex Haley’s Roots was rejected 200 consecutive times.

10) Shel Silverstein had a difficult time publishing The Giving Tree, which he was told would never sell.

11) The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was rejected so many times that author L. Frank Baum started keeping track in a journal he called A Record of Failures.

12) Harry Potter was famously rejected by nearly a dozen publishers before one agent’s 8 year-old daughter devoured the book and demanded more. Only then was it picked up. What if that 8 year-old had been napping??

13) The Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame, was described as “An irresponsible holiday story that will never sell.” And then, it sold 25 million copies worldwide.

14) Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, by Robert M. Pirsig, is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the most number of rejections for a best selling book (121 rejections).

15) Meg Cabot, who wrote The Princess Diaries, collected so many rejection letters, she kept them in a bag under her bed that eventually grew enough she could not lift it. Her book eventually sold 15 million copies. 

16) Jason Wallace’s Out of Shadows is rejected 100 times by literary agents and publishers, before it is taken on and wins the Costa Book Award in 2008.

17) James Patterson’s novel, The Thomas Berryman Number, was rejected by 31 publishers in a row, then went on to become a best-selling novel. Patterson went on to write 19 books in a row that landed on the best sellers list.

18) Kate DiCamillo racked up a staggering 473 rejection letters in six years before she published her first novel, Because of Winn-Dixie.

(Thanks to Darlene Pagan for this inspiring list)

Writerly Wednesday - Interview of Author Stormi Lewis

Author Stormi Lewis shares tips, tricks and hints on how to get published in this short half-hour interview. Join us for a trip down the path to publication. Stormi has two books out and a third one on the way. I'm sure you'll enjoy her warm personality and value her writing wisdom. 

Plus, post a comment below for a chance to win an autographed copy of her latest book:

And don't forget to click on the link below to view the interview, and visit my YouTube channel to see more author interviews. 

DIY Father/Son Woodworking Project - Murphy bed

It looks deceptively like a cabinet, at least that's what I think. In truth, it's a bed hidden inside a vertical frame. This is a Murphy Bed. 

My husband and son wanted to build one. And, for whatever reason, I didn't realize what a big project it would be. Now, that's saying something because we've taken on a few ambitious remodeling jobs in our days. Anyway, I thought it would be a couple of hours and 

voila we'd have a new bedroom thanks for the wall hanging bed. But it wasn't quite as easy as I thought it would be.

If you're curious, watch the video below or visit my YouTube channel. But here are a few of the photos from the project, including the handles on the door, which my son created from some  of the leftover wood they used to make the bed. 

Here is the bed frame being made

And here is the entire movie of the process. I hope you find this interesting because I sure did. 

Writerly Wednesday - 5 Literary Agents Looking for Clients

If you're looking to submit your work to literary agents, you should always check out their website to see new updates, tips and hints about how they'd like you to submit your work to them. But, if you're looking for ideas of where to submit your work, here are five who are looking for new clients that you can research a little more on your own. And good luck to you. 

1)      JamesMcGowan from BookendsLiterary says, “I'm very eager to find: ADULT mystery, crime, domestic suspense and horror/speculative fiction.” Query James at: link

2)     Adria Goetz at Martin Literary says,

“I represent, in general: Picture books, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Adult Fiction (as of 2020!), Graphic Novels, Quirky gift books, Devotionals for the Christian market, Books for both the general market, and the Christian market. “  Query Adria at this Link  

    3)    Amy Bishop at Dystel Goderich says she’s looking for more “Upmarket bookclub fiction” Query her at this link

4  4)  Heather Carr at the Friedrich Agency is looking for narrative nonfiction and literary fiction, especially “voice-driven nonfiction” that teaches  her something new.  Query Heather at this link

5   5) Kat Kerr at the Donald Mass Literary Agency is looking for Romantic Comedies  with diverse characters.  Query Kat at this link