News Twitter Thread - Words Counts for Epic Fantasy Debuts (125K - 175K)

[WAHamilton]

I found this Twitter thread today, which is making the rounds on Reddit currently. It was posted by an editor at Orbit Books and I thought it would be good info for anyone else writing epic fantasy and querying in the near future.

The takeaway is that the typical word count recommended for debut novels (i.e. stay under 100K) does not apply if you're writing epic fantasy. He said that he and other editors publishing epic fantasy (note: not urban/contemporary, historical, etc.) are looking for manuscripts between 125K and 175K to fit the 'epic' billing.

I was working on my second draft with the goal of cutting down to closer to 100K, so I'm glad to have found this. Wondering if I should take the advice at face value or with a grain of salt? Anyone with experience querying epic fantasy? I'd be interested to hear other perspectives!

 

[gbhunt]

Hi, we're querying fantasy, but it's not epic fantasy. Ours is 115,000 words. The main thing I have learned is that early on we thought it should come in at 135,000 and after some much-needed but not overly brutal editing, we ditched 20,000 words without changing anything substantial. It reads better and flows better. So, there is a big difference between 175 k of 'fat' and 175 k of 'lean' narrative. Not sure whether this helps at all hehehehe

 

[Hannah F]

Yes, epic fantasy are generally 130K+ to take into account all the world building. There are google threads giving you exact word counts for a range of epics including debuts. However, it is a bad idea to write with an aim to reach word count or, as above, you will add in 'fat'.

 

[RK Wallis]

If he's acquiring epic fantasy, I'd say he knows what he's on about

 

[WAHamilton]

However, it is a bad idea to write with an aim to reach word count or, as above, you will add in 'fat'.

Definitely important to aim for quality over quantity, but it's a relief to know that I don't have to ditch/combine important scenes for the sake of a word count.