Depends on whether you are writing for online or for print. 2,000 words is appropriate for a short story in print. Under 1,000 is appropriate for an online piece. In my 7 1/2 years of preparing FundsforWriters, I've learned in online article production that you lose the reader when you start straying much past 750 words unless the topic is eye-catching and composed such that it keeps the eye moving. Big blocks of copy don't fare well online.
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C. Hope Clark
Editor, FundsforWriters, www.fundsforwriters.com
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