One of the many contentions of novel writing is word count. There is a rumor that publishers, editors, and agents won't even look at your manuscript if the word count is too high or too low. How then do we manage to write and keep our word count in check? Is it really necessary to stay within the allotted number of words when writing a novel? It depends on a few factors.

Edit First
Before panicking about your word count, read through your manuscript. Have you edited your novel through at least four drafts? Many times a lengthy manuscript is merely an unedited manuscript. Read through your book and look for areas that are unnecessary to the story. Are your characters too weak? Are you giving out too much backstory? Does your story make sense without certain scenes? Look for areas that are weak or wordy. If your story is too short, look for weak characters, not enough backstory, or a lack of action and emotional cues.

Research
After editing, research to find out the acceptable word count for a novel of your chosen genre. There are mixed opinions, so some research is advisable. Generally speaking, it is good practice to try to keep your manuscript within these ranges:
Romance: 80,000-89,999 words
Mystery/Action/Suspense/Thriller: 70,000-90,000 words
Cozy Mystery: 70,000-75,000 words
Young Adult: 80,000 words
Science Fiction: 100,000-115,000 words
Middle Grade Fiction: 20,000-50,000 words  

Staying Within The Limits 
One of the hardest things to do when writing is keeping your novel inside the suggested word count. Using a beat sheet simplifies this process by breaking your book down into manageable sections that have a designated amount of words assigned to each segment.

Why Consider Word Count?
Word count becomes important when publishing a manuscript because certain elements must be taken into consideration; such as how many pages are in a book of your genre. If you have written a book that is too short, then it can cause formatting issues with the printer. If your book is too long, it may not be worth the money to print, as printing a larger book costs more money. Also, many publishers don't want to risk the higher cost of publishing a more substantial book written by an unknown author. If the author does not have a following, the book launch may fail, and the publisher could lose capital. 

Editors, Publishers, & Agents
If you decide to disregard the suggested word count for your genre, then it may help if you do some homework. Although there are agents, editors, and publishers that will accept a book of unconventional word count, they are harder to find as the risk is greater for them. Although it is harder to find a good match, it is not impossible. Try searching for a professional that will represent your genre, then research their current titles and check the word count of each book. You may find someone who isn't so involved in the rules, but can see a story for what it is; brilliant.