12 ways to reduce your word count

It can be tough sticking to a stipulated word count. You've got so much to say – and you want to do the topic or story justice. But you find yourself exceeding the word count every time.

So you try to figure out what to keep and what to delete. Should you shorten the introduction, cut a chapter, remove a couple of anecdotes? Or should you trash the whole thing and start again?

Not so fast! There are ways to reduce your word count without cutting swathes of text or starting afresh. It’s about making a series of edits that gently – and incrementally – reduce the word count (which is how I approach the task as an editor).

In this article, I’ll explore why you might need to reduce your word count, which cuts to make and when to leave well enough alone.

When should you reduce your word count?

This all depends on your client, audience and purpose. If you’re writing a fantasy novel, 130,000 words may be perfectly acceptable. But it may not fly with a self-help book. Here are a few reasons why you might want to reduce your word count:

• Your publisher or editor gave you a word limit.

• Your client has limited space for content.

• You ramble and don’t get to the point quickly enough.

• You use jargon and complex sentence constructions.

• Your content is repetitive.

Note: Just because a piece of writing is long doesn’t mean it’s boring. And just because it’s short doesn’t mean it’s superficial. Sometimes, a piece of writing is the length it needs to be. But if a specific word count means the difference between getting published and not getting published, it may be time to start snipping!

How to reduce your word count

Whether you’re fulfilling a publishing brief or writing an essay, here are 12 ways to reduce your word count without having to delete large sections:

1. Use contractions. Unless it’s a formal document (such as a contract or a scholarly essay), opt for contractions, such as ‘isn’t’, ‘don’t’, ‘it’s’ and so forth.

   
   

2. Eliminate long constructions. Many writers use more words than they actually need. To address this, turn long constructions into short ones. (This also aligns with plain English principles.) For example, replace ‘in order to’ with ‘to’, ‘reach a peak’ with ‘peaked’, ‘in relation to’ with ‘about’ and ‘in the near future’ with ‘soon’. For more on this topic, see How to fix wordiness (without losing your voice).

   
   

3. Minimise filler words. These can bloat your writing and impart little meaning. In fact, they can make you sound uncertain and undermine your authority. Where appropriate, minimise words like ‘just’, ‘really’, ‘very’, ‘I mean’, ‘I reckon’, ‘well’ and ‘literally’.

   
   

4. Minimise filter words. Not to be confused with ‘filler’ words, ‘filter’ words are words or phrases that create distance between the story and the reader. Words on your hit list should be ‘I felt’, ‘I saw’, ‘I wondered’ and ‘I decided’. For more on this topic, see Are filter words weakening your writing?

   
   

5. Minimise adverbs. While they can add colour to your writing, too many can feel forced or create clutter. Try replacing ‘he ran quickly’ with ‘he sprinted’ or ‘they were very happy’ with ‘they were delighted’.

   
   

6. Use acronyms (if appropriate). If you’re writing non-fiction, use acronyms instead of the full words. For example, ‘self-managed super fund’ becomes ‘SMSF’ (but only after it’s been defined). For rules on how to use abbreviations, see Acronyms and initialisms: A user’s guide.

    

7. Edit long quotations (if used). If you’ve been using long quotations to illustrate your points, use shorter extracts or replace irrelevant sentences with an ellipsis.

   
   

8. Minimise examples. If you’re writing non-fiction, try to minimise or shorten examples/illustrative material – as long as it doesn’t affect the content, logic or flow of the piece.

   
   

9. Remove repetition of ideas. It’s easy to repeat ideas in different words, both in the same paragraph and elsewhere. Look out for concepts that have already been defined or discussed. Removing repetition is an easy win when you’re cutting down words!

    

10. Tighten transitions. It can be tempting to reintroduce a topic when you’re writing transitions. But readers are smarter than you think. Where possible, minimise transitional phrases like ‘As discussed earlier’, ‘Thus’, ‘As a result’, ‘Here’s another related point’ and ‘Indeed’.

    
    

11. Reduce throat-clearing. It’s not unusual for writers to spend a few lines (or paragraphs) getting to their point. They may use fillers, empty phrases, repetition and unnecessary framing. To address this, take a look at your chapter or section introductions. If the first few lines are unnecessary or fluff, remove them and get straight to the point.

    
    

12. Remove tangents. It’s easy to get carried away when you’re writing about a topic you love. But if a side argument or tangent doesn’t serve your book’s purpose (even if it’s colourful), remove it.

When cutting words can backfire

It’s easy to get carried away when you’re cutting words from your manuscript or content. (This can happen during the self-editing process too.) When you’re doing this, make sure your changes don’t derail or weaken your writing. Here’s what to look out for:

• Deletions that leave knowledge gaps.

• Oversimplifications that weaken trust or authority

• Loss of voice.

• Missing content that creates ambiguity.

The best way to avoid these issues is to ask yourself:

• Does this passage still address the reader’s problem?

• Is this idea clear, or do I need to explain it further?

• Will this change my voice?

• Would readers be confused if this disappeared?

What if it’s still not enough?

Even after you go through this process, you may still be over the word limit. In that case, you’ll need to do another pass and make further cuts. If you’ve gone as far as you can, it may be time to look at the content more closely. What sections could be condensed or sacrificed (without affecting the integrity of the piece)?

Sometimes, your client will recommend specific cuts, in which case you may not have a choice. If a favourite passage is deleted, don’t fret. Keep it in a file and use it later. You’re not killing your darlings – you’re just deferring them!

Final thoughts: 12 ways to reduce your word count

Cutting words can be powerful, particularly if it makes your work clearer, more publishable and more accessible to readers. But don’t be tempted to rewrite the entire thing or cut out large chunks. It’ll leave awkward gaps and make your job a lot harder in the long run.

Instead, try cutting words by degrees, using the tips above. While it can take time, you’ll reach your target word count without making too many compromises.

Don’t want to do it yourself? No problem. Let me edit that unruly or overlong manuscript. Get in touch through my contact form or request a sample edit.