Deena, it depends on the page size, the typeface and size used in the book, etc. Generally, the printed book will have a higher word count per page than your manuscript formatting, by a chunk.

Your best bet is a word count; if you're working in Word, that's easy enough.

Yep, I can do that. I'll save any other babbling for another day. Thanks, Deb, sleep well.

I've heard from a third to a half more, but like Deb said, they can increase or decrease the font size, the spacing between lines and the breadth of the margins depending on the page count they wish to obtain -- sometimes they sacrifice mechanical readability to save paper, or fluff up a short novel to make it look longer and more buyable.

So, I have some relatively exciting news. The Greater Cincinnati Writers League is an organization whose focus is poetry; every fall they have a poetry contest. I entered it for the first time this year, and I got a letter today informing me that, although I'm not one of the first-, second-, or third-place winners, I *am* Second Honorable Mention. Out of 75 entries.

Which I think is pretty damn cool, considering I just started writing poetry last year and this is the first poetry contest I ever entered.

t /blowing own horn

Teppy!

ROCKAGE!

Woo, Tep, you're fabulous!

(and remember, we knew you before you were famous)

I'm pretty excited. It was, in fact, the first poem I wrote when I started writing them last year.

I am eating bad calamari in celebration.

t waves writing pompoms for Teppy

Can we have a celebratory re-post of said poem??

Congrats!

t scuffing toe in dirt and beaming

Autumn Morning

Rebirth comes
not in
budding branches and
fresh new green

but in a
bold sudden
tympani of color,
russet and gold and flame.

Not in the
gentle warmth,
spreading slowly outward
after the thaw

but in the
crisp snap
of air made new,
respite from the heat.