Is 2000 words per day good?
Sure. 2000 words a day means you complete a draft of an 80,000 word novel in 40 days. Not bad.
1000 words a day is also a good rate – that completes a novel in a little under three months.
Of course, you need to factor in the time it takes to edit and rewrite.
In theory, if you type 50 wpm, you can complete a novel in a week – if you work 8 hours a day at it.
Actually, my 2k wpd only covers 4-5 hours of work. After that, I’ve just exhausted my creative juices, though I can get a little more writing done later. But I can spend more time editing.
I’m a full-time writer, having published a number of books and hundreds of free lance articles for major newspapers and magzines. I do not write 2000 words a day I have certainly written that many on some days, but not on an average, and I think it’s a pace that very few writers could maintain over a significant length of time.
Book writing is by far the least lucrative type of writing (unless you are a celebrity). If you figure the average novel (or piece of non-fiction) is at least 100,000 words and the average book by a mid-size publisher sells a few thousand copies (we’ll be generous and say 5k), that works out to about 5.5 cents per word. If you can crank out 2000 words in eight hours, that’s the equivalent of $13.75 an hour. If you want to write books, do it as your second job.
When I work for the newspaper covering a sporting event, I might submit 3000 words that I have written in a couple of hours after a game ended. However, the key details are provded for me – I’m simply reporting what happened, not creating things from my imagination. I don’t have to worry about character development, maintaining the threads of a plot, or any of the other issues inherent in a longer work.
Each writer has his own style, but I think the number of words is among the least important things to worry about. Have something to say and find an audeince. Every thing else is minor details.
I see. I’m actually somewhat worried about journalism becuse I don’t have a degree in it, and the newpaper market is shrinking. I wouldn’t mind working for a magazine, but I have had no luck with electronic resume submissions. I experience, but few positions open in the field I want.
Very few magazines have a full-time writing staff anymore. Even the major players rely heavily on free lancers. Full-time newspaper jobs are still out there, although getting a specific job in a speciic market is a big challenge. A journalism degree may open some doors if you’re fresh out of school. but at some point, experience is what sells you. Whether its newspapers, magazines, or books, it is the samples of your work that really determine how far you’ll go.
bandit… (or anyone else) feel free to contact me offline for specific suggestions about breaking into the industry.