How many words do you publish in a year?

Captcha · Aug 15, 2014

I'm genuinely curious about this (and wanted to work out my own numbers just for interest's sake), but I'm also suggesting it as a sort of antidote/added wrinkle for all the "how much do you write" threads.

If we can write fast first drafts AND have them quickly ready for publication, that's great. But if we write fast first drafts and then have to go back for second, third, or fourth rewrites to make them publishable, then it's not so good!

2010 - 342K (3 novels)
2011 - 280K (2 novels, 4 novellas, 6 shorts)
2012 - 559K (6 novels, 4 novellas, 2 shorts)
2013 - 223K (3 novels)
2014 - 340K (4 novels)

It's interesting b/c there have been a lot of other words WRITTEN, but that's all that's actually been published. I have work with my agent, work that I've set aside but plan to come back to, and some work that I've trunked.

So, yeah, words written is an interesting thing to measure. But I think it may be more meaningful to look at words published, assuming publication is our goal.

Hapax Legomenon · Aug 18, 2014

Well there is a huge difference between "publishable" and "published" for most writers...

KTC · Aug 18, 2014

These question is a bit weird sounding to me. I have published a book a year since 2011. I have one coming out at the end of 2014 and one at the beginning of 2015. So, about 50K a year published in novel format. And I have at least one play produced a year...is that considered published. And I freelance articles and have short stories and poetry published every year. (-:

Marian Perera · Aug 18, 2014

This year I'll have two full-length novels out, so that's a total of 200K. Next year, two more contracted/scheduled, so that's another 200K.

I've also submitted four novellas to different markets, and they're between 15 and 20K words each.

Captcha · Aug 19, 2014

KTC said:
These question is a bit weird sounding to me. I have published a book a year since 2011. I have one coming out at the end of 2014 and one at the beginning of 2015. So, about 50K a year published in novel format. And I have at least one play produced a year...is that considered published. And I freelance articles and have short stories and poetry published every year. (-:

Well, yeah, I'd say that all counts as published, including the play - although word count would be a bit different for plays, maybe? I don't know anything about them.

I meant the question to examine how many FINISHED words we're coming up with, rather than just raw word count. The words-per-day threads seem to focus on raw words, and those are important, but they're not the only measure of writing, I don't think.

If one writer writes 500 words a day and every word is carefully thought through and polished and ready to go, and another writer writes 5000 words a day and then ends up trunking or cutting or rewriting or otherwise not using 90% of those words, I'd say those two writers have different, equally valid writing styles that end up with a similar productivity level. But the 500 words a day writer, looking at one of the words-per-day threads, might feel woefully unproductive.

Ann_Mayburn · Aug 19, 2014

Keep in mind- I'm insane and OCD about writing and these are ballpark word counts for books published-not written but published- in 2013. (I'm also lumping re-releases into one word count as I added chapters to all my books that I got my rights back before re-editing and re-releasing) :

Pursued by the Prisoner: 14k
My Wicked Trainers: 21k
Guarding Hope 85k
Ivan's Captive Submissive: 90K(may be higher)
My Wicked Valentine: 70k
First Kiss: 30k
Second Touch: 30k
Still: 90k
Sodom and Detroit: 35k
Rewrites on 4 books: 60k

525,000 words...roughly.

My motto, when I'm writing, is 5k a day keeps the editor at bay. But that's not every day and some days are spent entirely doing edits, or pr, or proofing, or on occasion fucking off. I work on average 70 hours a week because I work from home I have weird hours.

Once again, I'm a freak. Please don't feel bad about yourself, my brain is just wired this way. Writing is easy, but I can't help my kids with their math homework past the third grade.

MsLaylaCakes · Aug 19, 2014

*stares at Ann's word count*
*stares at it again*
:Clap:

(I bow to your awesomeness)

Okay...this is going to be a bit of a contrast, but here are my numbers. As you'll be able to tell, I mostly write novellas.

2013
Tower in the Woods - 34,000
Warlock's Pawn - 32,000
More Than Strangers - 33,000
Delicious Delay - 17,000
= 116,000

2014
Catching Red - 51,000
Operation Owl - 30,000
Contracted novella 1 (tent. release Oct 2014) - 19,000
Contracted novella 2 (tent. release Nov 2014) - 19,000
Contracted novella 3 (tent. release Dec 2014) - 19,000
= 138,000

My current goal is to write faster... I'm working on it

Captcha · Aug 20, 2014

LaylaCakes, those numbers are nothing to scoff at!

How many words do you publish in a year?

Captcha

Hapax Legomenon

KTC

Stand in the Place Where You Live

Marian Perera

starting over

Captcha

Ann_Mayburn

Smutty McTitters

MsLaylaCakes

Playing the waiting game

Captcha