“The word processor exerts a curious effect on writing; it makes everything you peck out look neat, and neat rapidly becomes convincing. The computer makes storage so easy that nothing is wasted; chapters can grow beyond their needs, frequently augmented by bits the author has reinserted with the cut-and-paste function. Are word-processed manuscripts longer than those from the Typewriter Era, or does it just seem that way? Fortunately, the same word processor that records each of your thoughts in 12 pt Times Roman also counts your words for you. Know how long your word-processed text is.”

—William Germano, Getting it Published: A Guide for Scholars and Anyone Else Serious about Serious Books, 2001.