Novels and fanfic

[thistlechaser]

Looks like the option to include fanfic in my 50 book per year effort passed. Since that's the case, I decided I needed to check the wordcount and make sure this fic I'm reading really is novel length.

How many words does the average novel have? Unsurprisingly there is no one answer, but from wiki: ...lists novels as typically being between 100,000 and 175,000 words,[6] while National Novel Writing Month requires its novels to be at least 50,000 words.

Average on Google seems to be 30K-40K for YA, and 60K+ for adult novel.

The fic I'm reading, Force Over Distance is 404,600 words. I boggle! Also, I'm amused: I didn't want to read it at home this weekend, because it's good for a "between work tasks" brain refresher/reward and so I didn't want to finish it at home, but I'm only on chapter 12 of 71 chapters, so I didn't have to worry about that! I should have checked the chapter count sooner, haha.

Once more, I'm so surprised and touched and honored that people write this much for free! This is so well-written (both story-wise and technically), it could easily be published as a four books!

Comments

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

I enjoy writing for free. I wouldn't want to publish - or scratch that, I have published and got a glimpse at the way publishing eats your life up with very little return profit (unless you happen to be, say, Stephen King or Alan Hollinghurst). Many authors publish and later wish they'd never gotten involved with it, and for good reason. I decided if I want writing to remain fun and satisfying, then never publish again!

[thistle-chaser.livejournal.com]

Hmm, that's a good point. I always picture it as someone saying "Hey, you write well! Here, have some money! *tosses handfuls of it at the person*". I know that's not true, but it should be!

[ashmedai.livejournal.com]

Hahaha - I wish! And it's not just about the huge amount of time you spend editing and revising your writing to suit the publisher's taste. You also have to do promotion very actively, and often if you're under contract, you're basically forced to crank out more and more in a given time frame, whether you're inspired to write or not. And like I said, if you're not well-known already, don't expect to earn much, especially in relation to the load of work it is. If your goal is to see your name in print, by all means publish, but a goal of earning a living off it is rather unrealistic. J.K. Rowling's story is well-known because it's a very unusual one, and because there are countless authors just as good, or better, who never make it (and even J.K. got enough rejection letters to wallpaper a room with). No, I like writing on LJ and interacting with my readers much better than that kind of circus! :)