by Brad Bloom @Faithfitnessmag

You’ve been writing for what seems like forever, and last week you submitted your proposal. You’ve just received a letter from the editor saying, Congratulations! Your proposal to online.com has been accepted. Now, it’s time to get started. The big question on the top of your mind is, “How many words?”

Imagine the looks I get from writers when I reply, “However many it takes to tell the story well.” I know, it’s not the answer you want. Usually the reply is a number. Let me share a few thoughts with you to help you better understand how I came to this response.

The Formula for Words

I’m not talking about the secret recipe for Coca-cola. We all know that formula-style writing works. You might employ the inverted pyramid of most important information to the least important. Within the realm of Internet content, people have created all kinds of formulas to get better results. There is no end to the tricks to get clicks. At the very least we all almost always follow the formula of having a beginning, middle and end. Right? The problem with formulas is that everything starts to look the same. It gets predictable and potentially boring. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use logical processes and effective styles. I am however encouraging you to make sure the formula works for you. If you feel like your writing is inhibited then beware.

Go For the Words – Go For All of the Words!

Sometimes I just need to get all of my thoughts and words out of my head and on the laptop. I want to do more research and better understand the topic. I have to know that I fully know the subject, issue, cause, message or person. Don’t be afraid to do the long version first. Sure, it’s more work. No, it won’t be fun to swing the editorial machete and cut it way down. The end result can be a really beautiful and well-crafted article that people read from beginning to end.  The good news with online technology is that some publishers (I’m one of them) will provide a link in the short article to the full-length research version. That can make it all the more worth while and gives the writer the ability to connect well with both the general reader as well as those who really find the topic fascinating and of significant importance.

Make the Words Dense

I don’t mean dense as in ‘stupid’ but rather dense as in ‘solid’. When writers submit a first draft to me that is heavy on adjectives, adverbs and excessive details, it is a fluffy mess and a stupid waste of my time. Instead, shift your thinking from ‘word count’ to ‘making every word count’. Once you’ve done that then have two or more people read it so they can tell you where it loses their attention and how you can make it even tighter. You should be able to watch the story evolve.

Can you do it? I bet you can. This blog posting is 564 words in length. Revise it into something shorter and better and then use the contact us link in Faith & Fitness Magazine to send it to me.  I’ll pick one winner from all the submissions I receive by July 15. That person will get to pick a book, DVD or other cool prize.

The real prize though is learning to tell your story in however many words it takes to tell your story well.

What has been your experience with writing word counts?

Brad Bloom, Publisher
Faith & Fitness Magazine