How long to write an article?

[WordCraft]

It took me about 5-6 hours (I did not time it exactly) to research and write my latest 600-word article.

I've now printed it out to go through it with a fine tooth-comb.

How long does it take you?

And, on a related note, if it takes seven hours in all (re-reads/polishing/submitting etc.) and
you refuse to work for (say) less than $12 per hour, then do you hope to average a revenue
of $84 per article?

Are there statistics for how much an article is worth on average for any given author? It would
be interesting to know the time-to-income ratio....

[Celeste Stewart]

The only statistics that would be available are those kept by writers themselves. I use a spreadsheet to track all kinds of information including time spent and how much I make per hour for any given article. I highly recommend doing so because the more you track and analyze, the more you'll see how productive you are. By being aware, you may find ways to increase your productivity. For example, if you spent four hours researching a topic, writing more than one article on that topic may be worthwhile.

[CRDonovan]

I often choose to write articles that are research based, and I easily take two to three hours on research ( I have to cut myself off) then another two to three with outline, rough draft, final draft and final polish. I tend to write longer articles - 1000 words or more, and yes, I try to pay myself a certain amount per hour. So, if I want to recoup 85 dollars for my time, I will price it at 125 or whatever that calculation is. Clearly the market is more active at a lower price range, and for those writers who can produce work in an hour or so (or less?) that works out. But I've found that there is a market for longer, more in depth pieces as well. I think you have to find what works best for you, and as Celeste says, it helps to keep track of what you do so that you can make informed decisions about what to write and how much to charge.

[WordCraft]

I wrote an article with over 16,000 words (with 84 end notes) some years ago.

I don't think Ed will ever look at something like that if I were to submit it.

Is there an accepted limit of how long an article can be on CC? And are heavy end notes, etc. discouraged? (I actually prefer to write pieces where I can give references for everything).

Thanks for the tips. I will set up a spreadsheet to record the details of articles accepted.

[Elizabeth Ann West]

Purely academic articles aren't really what C-C is about, and 16,000 words is very long. I have a fanfiction I'm writing that's currently 12,000 words long at it's over 9 chapters!

In general, once you start getting over 2,000 words you're getting into the territory where it will be more difficult for your article to be marketable. I know it's easy to get wrapped up in your artist side-- "This is what I like to create." But you also have to put on your saleswoman hat too.

If you start getting over 2,000 words ask yourself, can I break this topic down? Are you trying to cover too much? Would your audience be more captive with an in-depth twist instead of trying to combine a general article with more specific information? Are your sentences carrying words that are just extra weight?

For example, I'm working right now on researching metabolics. I'm seeing the word thrown around in weight loss articles but it was unfamiliar. So far I've learned there are legitimate metabolic researchers out there looking at enzymes, proteins, and hormones organisms and organelles produce to metabolize food, but it's like the human genome project, there isn't a complete picture out there yet. Various universities in Europe and the United States are working on metabolic profiles, but so far all they can tell is that everyone is different. On the other hand, the word is also being used as a type of pseudo-science mumbo jumbo by diet pills claiming to control glycemic indexes, isolate proteins responsible for fat production, etc. I know from my research on dietary supplements earlier this year that the FDA is very lax in regulation, they do not approve dietary supplements, and only step in to study effects if there is a problem. Otherwise, the companies that manufacture the diet pills are expected to list all ingredients and "self-police."

This is a big topic, if I tried to write about all of it at once, it would be forever and a day long. Here is how I could break it up:
Metabolics: What's the real science behind studying metabolic rates? (talk about the university research)
The Future of Metabolics: What Are the Potential Consequences of Understanding How Humans Metabolize Food and Expend Energy (explain where the research is going, how it will not only affect health and fitness issues, but also pharmaceuticals perhaps answering questions about why medications in different dosages are effective in different people, maybe even a complete spin off on pain management medication issues and metabolism)
Junk Science: When Diet Pill Companies Want You to Believe Metabolics Are More Advanced Than They Are (covering briefly the issue with "self-policing" dietary supplement manufacturers, how research centers funded by universities are far from isolating specific causal links in metabolics and how companies are marring a future health science by wrapping it up with junk science.)

3 articles $75-$150 a piece and 800-1500 words each, probably would take me 10 hours total of writing assuming I only sold them all for $75 (my 800 piece on side effects with dietary supplements sold for $85) I would take home $135, or $13.50 an hour. Writing all of that as one large 3,000-5,000 word piece? It would be difficult to find one market for a piece covering so much ground. For example, the piece on junk science could appeal to not only scientific sites, but also weight loss sites, health and beauty sites, etc. The "research" article could be used in a variety of ways, including a continuing education site advertising careers and education in nutrition science. A "Did you find the above article interesting? Have you considered a career as a licensed nutritionist?" And so on and so on.

Does this help?

[WordCraft]

I'm also writing some fiction. I finished chapter 9 (total 27,000 words thus far) but have got stuck on the "mid book"

Yes, that makes sense to break them down. I'm actually quite interested in history, but I am not sure how marketable it is (for this salesMAN). I've done enough research on the Net to know that there is a ton of information out there, some of it quite obscure especially now with classic books scanned in on such services as Google Books. I guess people are really paying for the research and presentation more than they are for our actual writing...

[Debbi]

I've got two novels going at the same time and can't seem to write a chapter any longer than 1,500 words. I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing or just what the writing demands of me. I remember reading a Stephen King book (can't remember which one right now) where some of the chapters were 25 pges long and some were 2 sentences, so maybe it doesn't matter. Of course I'm no Stephen King!

Debbi

[WordCraft]

It's not critical, as I understand it, how many chapters you have or their length. Personally, I find books a bit jarring when there are big inconsistencies in chapter length. I read a Dan Brown book (not my favourite author) last year. Most of the chapters were of normal length, but I came across one that was just half a page and it threw me for a while there!

The standard novel page is taken to be 350 words, so most chapters of most books (which I've read) tend to be at least 8 pages, if not ten. Publishers do not like manuscripts from first-time authors to be more than 100,000 words, but I think you have to aim for at least 60,000 before descending into the realm of novelettes (might need to check that figure).

I've seen novels with as few as 18 chapters, and some with 30+ chapters and yet no real difference in overall length as a book.

Best of luck with them - I wish I was a woman, then I could write two novels at the same time

[jadedragon]

At 625 words Elizabeth's post is a good article length. Too bad she is not selling it.

[Elizabeth Ann West]

Oh jade, not everything is about making a buck LOL

I have a super teething baby right now with the grossest teething side effect possible. So between the "I only want to cuddle with Mommy," the extra laundry, and being a wife, I'm lucky to keep up my own website posts.

But I am compiling research on metabolics, it fascinates me. So far not a great deal of authoritative stuff available online, I'm going to try my library's journal search engine soon.

[Celeste Stewart]

Elizabeth, why not post a query on HARO (helpareporter.com)? You may find a real authority that you can interview! This is an awesome resource for writers