Friday, October 31, 2008

How Many Words Should Be Included In An Article?

The number of words that should be included in an article will vary according to the publisher and medium you plan on submitting the article to. There isn't any universally recognized standard for the number of words an article should contain.

Identifying a universal minimum or maximum word count for articles is a futile endeavor. All publishers have their own article submission guidelines which vary according to their purpose, market, industry, and other publishing factors.

There are several questions you should ask yourself to determine the number of words you should include in your article.

  • Who is your audience?
  • What type of article are you writing?
  • What are the standards for your niche, market, and industry?
  • What are the publishers' article submission requirements?
  • How much time do you have to write the article? What are the deadlines?

There are many different types of publishers who accept articles. Each publisher has their own article submission policies and standards. It is important that you read the publishers' article submission guidelines before submitting your articles.

There are two groups of publishers that use articles as their primary content: traditional media publishers and new media publishers.

Both of these groups of publishers rely on articles to maintain and increase readership. But the article submission guidelines of each of these publishers are shaped and influenced by different factors.

Traditional Media Publishers

The number of words allowed in an article for traditional media is primarily shaped by the amount of available space in each issue. Below are some common word count guidelines for article submissions to traditional media publishers.

  • Featured Magazine Articles 1,500 - 3,500
  • Research Reports 4,000 - 5,000
  • Letters to the Editor 150 - 800
  • Featured Newspapers Articles 600 - 1,500
  • Newsletter 300 - 700
  • Journals 3,500 - 6,500

New Media Publishers

The number of words in the article submission guidelines of new media is shaped by the attention span of the readers. Below are some unofficial word counts for article submissions to new media publishers.

  • E-Zines and E-Newsletters 200 -1,000
  • Article Directories 200 - 5,000
  • Article Submission Services 400 - 2,000
  • Blogs 150 - 5,000
  • Search Engines 150 - 600

Remember, these word counts are loose guides to help direct your writing. It is important to refer to the article submission guidelines of the publisher you want to submit your article to.

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1 comment:

AudreyO said...

Interesting blog post. I found it via your profile on Facebook.

Some article directories require a larger amount of words than what I write. I just don't waste my time with those directories. I set my own standards by the standards of the largest directory out there which accepts articles of 250 words or more.

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