Childrens books - how much consideration are you giving to age groups and word counts etc?

[grumpypants]

Because much as I know the best thing is to write, there is also a lot of sane advice about researching and pitching accordingly. Trouble is, the length of a book for 7-9 is so much shorter than for 9 plus. There's also that conflict of subject matter and style. So, what are you doing?

[grumpypants]

Another wittering (sorry!) - I think my dilemma is that the market that I am looking at would be around age 7 to 9 due to the subject, but this means writing a book of maximum 8,000 words*, and reducing the number of difficult words, making my style easier etc. However, if I go up to the 9 to 12 market, I need to increase word count and also darken my story (without making the character too adult in her thoughts and actions) - I love my character, and she has been complimented as well rounded and appealing, so I am torn between simplifying or darkening and possibly losing the innocence of the story. (Feedback was that altho' the reader liked the story, it was possibly too gentle).
*Everything I read suggests this age group has a limit of 4 to 8000 wds, with only one agent's blog suggesting up to 25,000

[belledechocchipcookie]

7-9s still want something to scare the pants off them, think Lemony Snicket/Roald Dahl so either way it's probably going to be too gentle. The words are easier to change though so I'd probably leave it at this market and have a play with some of the words.

[grumpypants]

Yeah, Lemony Snicket is a really good example, except word wise it's much longer. I think that because I feel 'almost there' I am having a really hard time settling for how to rewrite. Apparently Horrid Henry and Mr Majeika are also 7-9.
I do think the 9+ market starts straying into quite dark territory, and my subject matter would be too babyish; I know I have to toughen up the action and the fear factor either way - that was one point from Cornerstones.
I wish I could do a 15k standalone for 7-9 - that would be perfect!
How are you getting along - did you do the W&A 2011 competition?

[belledechocchipcookie]

My 9+ novel is dark, plenty of action and I've been told parts of it are terrifying [blush. I need to go through it and edit the last half, then find a willing victim to have a read. I've not looked at the comp, been too busy doing the rewrite. I think it's OK, I'm not sure about my language though.

Lemony Snicket is packed out with pictures, as are the Mr Gump books. They do look like there's alot of words but there's pages with just a few words. I think Horrid Henry is more 7 then 7-9, the books are split into three stories and the language is not too complex.

[grumpypants]

just at work, so quick hi - am going to rewrite for both age groups, as an exercise. 8,000 words for 7-9, aiming for 30,000 for 9+ - let me know how you get along!

[belledechocchipcookie]

Best of luck. Publishing isn't the quickest of industries so I may be waiting for a while

[LadyGlencoraPalliser]

Grumpy - my eight-year-old is immersed in Order of the Phoenix at the moment and that's well over 250,000 words! Write the book the length that feels natural for it. Although as an exercise I think writing it at both lengths could be interesting, I think that if you write it at the longer length you will be able to edit it down and tighten it up more easily, whereas writing it to the shorter length, if that is not the natural length for the story, the problem will be that it will read more like a plot summary, a bit flattened with less detail and interest than the longer version.
But that's just my reaction.

[grumpypants]

Good point Glen - the problem is that I wrote it at 19,000 for 9plus, and am now trying to digest the feedback I received. Because I had some interest, it's harder to decide what to do. The real issue for me is the big leap in category from 6k to 25k plus with no middle ground. Altho, all respect to your dd!

[grumpypants]

ok! think i have been counting pages in dcs books researching long enough! Final decision is (ta da)
6-9 years, young fiction, 1,000 to just over 10,000 words,
and general fiction (8 to 12), 25 to 50,000 words

Somebody just pat me on the head and be done with it