Word counts by genre

“How many words in a novel?” is a question many writers ask.

“My memoir is 270,000 words long.” I heard these words during a breakout session I led at a local writers’ conference.

An editor friend of mine, Shayla Eaton with Curiouser Editing, was sitting in on the breakout. We gave each other knowing glances, and because I didn’t want to break this poor memoirist’s literary heart, I nodded at Shayla to take the lead. Soon after I heard someone mention the words in a novel, I held my breathe and let the moment pass.

As nicely but as directly as she could, she explained to the memoirist that a 270,000-word memoir was excessive. Even if she self-publishes, the cost per copy would be high, and few readers would slog through such a tome — particularly for someone who’s not famous.

And no agents or publishers would even look past that number.

The prose could be as fleet-footed as Fitzgerald’s. The life story could be as compelling as Lincoln’s. The platform could be as broad as Oprah’s. But no agent would get to know that because they’d see “Memoir: 270,000 words” and hit delete before reading any further.

So, what word count should a memoir be? 

For that matter, how long should any book be? How many words are in a typical novel? What’s the ideal book word count? 

If you’re writing your first novel or any book, you’re probably asking these questions.

The short answer is: long enough to tell the story but short enough to consistently hold the reader’s interest.

The long answer is, well, longer.

Read on to discover:

1. Why do novel word counts matter?
2. How many words in a novel?
3. What should my book word count be?
4. How many words per page can you expect in a book?

Why do novel word counts matter?

Word count matters because every book, regardless of genre, has an inherent contract with the reader. But that contract is dependent upon the book’s genre.

For instance, when a reader picks up a thriller, they have certain expectations of what they’re about to read. That includes scenes like “the hero at the mercy of the villain,” but it also includes book length. Because thrillers are about pulse-pounding action and maybe some character development (especially if it’s part of a series), the word count isn’t massive. Thrillers tend to be 70,000 to 90,000 words.

If you’re not a thriller author, I won’t keep you in suspense. At the end of this article, you’re going to find a guide to suggested word count length for most every popular genre.

My point is that your genre will likely dictate your word count. There are exceptions, like YA books that exceed 250,000 words, but those tend to be outliers, and first-time authors rarely, if ever, get to be an outlier.

Additionally, knowing your word count before you start writing can help you better plan your narrative arc as well as your writing schedule.

How many words in a novel?

And what’s the average length of other types of books?

Before diving into the specifics of genre-based word counts, let’s look at the broader picture of average book length.

For most publishers, a book is “novel-length” when it’s between 50,000 and 110,000 words.

At a writers conference I recently attended, publishing veteran Jane Friedman said 80,000 words is good for most fiction, below 60,000 isn’t novel length territory, and above 120,000 is likely too much.

Writer’s Digest recommends 80,000 to 89,999 words as a “100% safe range for literary, mainstream, women’s, romance, mystery, suspense, thriller and horror.” That’s approximately 300 pages of double-spaced type.

In “Outlining Your Book in 3 Easy Steps,” editor Shawn Coyne says, “The average novel today is about 90,000 words. Big, epic stories get anywhere from 120,000 to 200,000 words.” But, he also mentions that “The Wizard of Oz was 40,000 words. The Old Man and the Sea was about 25 to 30,000 words, tops.”

Coyne uses the Nanowrimo word-count length of 50,000 words for his examples, calling 50,000 words a good foundation to build upon.

So what does that mean for you, author?

If you’re working on a novel-length book, aim for 50,000 words at the very least — but it’s better to aim for 90,000. Editorial trimming is inevitable.

However, you’ll also want to take your genre into account.

What should my book word count be?

The following are average word-count ranges by genre.

General Fiction Word Counts

• Flash Fiction: 300–1500 words
• Short Story: 1500–30,000 words
• Novellas: 30,000–50,000 words
• Novels: 50,000–110,000 words

Fiction Genres Word Counts

• Mainstream Romance: 70,000–100,000 words
• Subgenre Romance: 40,000–100,000 words
• Science Fiction / Fantasy: 90,000–120,000 (and sometimes 150,000) words
• Historical Fiction: 80,000–100,000
• Thrillers / Horror / Mysteries / Crime: 70,000–90,000 words
• Young Adult: 50,000–80,000

For a great discussion on the fundamentals of fiction, and how to write a great story, check out this podcast interview.

Children’s Books Word Counts

• Picture Books: 300–800 words
• Early Readers: 200–3500 words
• Chapter Books: 4000–10,000 words
• Middle Grade: 25,000–40,000 words

Nonfiction Word Counts

• Standard Nonfiction (Business, Political Science, Psychology, History, etc.): 70,000–80,000 words
• Memoir: 80,000–100,000 words
• Biography: 80,000–200,000 words
• How-to / Self-Help: 40,000–50,000 words

All of these are average book word count ranges and should not be taken as the definitive word count you must reach in your book. We all know of outliers within each genre that have been published well under, or well over, these word counts.

Use these numbers as a baseline for your writing goals.

Know what readers expect in terms of your genre’s word count (even if the reader isn’t aware of their expectations when it comes to how long a book is).

How many words per page can you expect in a book? 

This is another common question, and for most writers it should be easy to answer by using a “word count” feature in your writing tool.

If you’re writing in Microsoft Word,”word count” is an option under “Tools.” Prefer something different? Here’s how to find word count in Google Docs. You can also track word count in Scrivener.

The average single-spaced document typed in 12-point font contains about 500 words per page, but that can vary pretty drastically depending on your formatting.

So, if you have an hour to write and aim to get down 300 words, you might wonder, how many pages is 300 words — and the answer is less than one! Doable, right?

If you’re thinking bigger and wondering, for example, how many pages is 50,000 words, simply divide your target word count (50,000) by 500 (since that’s the average words per page). Your answer here is 100 pages.

Don’t let those commas instill fear. Fifty thousand words isn’t that much divided into five days a week for a year. That’s only 193 words per writing day!

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This is an updated version of a story that was previously published. We update our posts as often as possible to ensure they’re useful for our readers.

Many authors are gearing up to weave worlds, characters, and stories into novels with their words. But… how many words does a novel make? And when it comes to creating art, just how important is it to stick to the rules — such as standard word counts?

Well, if your goal is to publish and sell your novel, those rules are pretty darn important. As with many publishing standards, word count guidelines exist for a number of reasons — including marketing and sales — but also to help create stories that are free from plot or pacing issues that can exhaust readers. You wouldn’t be reading this article right now if a quick scroll down showed an apparent 10,000 words, would you?

Why does word count matter?

“Word count limits sometimes seem as though they are stifling artistic flow, but they are usually there for a reason,” says Freelance Editor Lisa Howard.

If you’re hoping to land a book deal with a traditional publisher, you don’t want to give an editor a reason to turn your book away. That’s why Freelance Editor Jessica Hatch urges you to follow their rules. “In the New York agencies I worked for, it was rare to see a 120,000-word manuscript avoid the slush pile. This is because we were groomed to understand that, even if a long manuscript is strong from start to finish, it would take considerable work to convince an editor to buy it at auction.”

Similarly, if your book is published and lands in a bookstore, you don’t want to turn away prospective readers with a bizarrely small or large book spine. Word count signals to people what kind of book they’re dealing with. Readers looking for a good beach-read in the ‘Mystery’ section will not likely gravitate towards a 1,000-page book.

Regarding the value of adhering to standard word counts, Jackie Bates, a former Managing Editor at AA Publishing, adds: “Like everything in writing, you may write a work of genius that smashes all the rules. But for print publishing, the physical cost of producing the book is an issue, and the market does generally know what it likes. I do find if someone has written a very short or overly long novel, they often don’t quite have a grip on their story. Word counts give writers something to aim for and an idea of what a reader’s expectations might be.”

How many words should my novel be?

The average word count of a novel ranges between 70,000 to 100,000 words. Lengths, of course, may differ based on a book’s genre. Fantasy stories can exceed 120,000 words, while novellas fall under 40,000 words. Generally, authors should adhere to genre norms to satisfy readers as well as meet the industry expectations of agents and publishers. 

Keep in mind, however, that this isn’t a hard and fast range. It differs from book to book and organization to organization. According to NaNoWriMo, manuscripts must be over 50k words to qualify. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, on the other hand, classifies submissions for its famous Nebula Awards series into four categories:

• Short story: under 7,500
• Novelette: between 7,500 and 17,500
• Novella: between 17,500 and 40,000
• Novel: over 40,000

Is 40,000 words enough for a novel?

A story that is over 40,000 words is generally considered a novel. However, it will be on the short side, as the average length of a novel hovers around 50,000-70,000 words.

That said, if your book is around 40,000 words, you’re in good company. C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and George Orwell’s Animal Farm all came in under the 40,000 mark (38,421 words, 30,644 words, and 29,966 words, respectively).

But before you celebrate and race to send your manuscript off to the presses as a novel, there’s something else that you should consider. Whether a word count is «enough» for a novel depends on one thing and one thing only: its genre.

PRO-TIP: If you’re curious about how long a chapter should be, check out this post that’s all about chapter length. Or if you’re more a fan of short fiction, click here to find out how long is a short story?

What are the standard word counts by genre?

You should be aware that word count standards differ vastly by genre. Could you, as a first-time novelist, get an agent or publisher to bite at your 200k-word YA epic? Maybe — but it would be tough.

To find out whether your novel falls above, below, or in the ideal word count for its genre, take a gander at the recommended word counts from Reedsy’s editors below.

(And if you’d just like the quick and dirty answer, take this 15-second quiz to check how long your novel should be, given your specific genre.)

How many words should a fiction novel be?

Commercial and literary novels are generally 80,000 to 110,000 words. Some examples for this category include: The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera (85,199 words), The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (91,419 words), Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (97,364 words), Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery (119,394 words), and Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen (119,394 words).

How many words should a fantasy novel be?

Fantasy and science fiction novels are known to be lengthier than other books. Fantasy, in particular, takes the cake: some books in a fantasy series end up exceeding 140,000 words. That said, the average word count for science fiction and fantasy novels generally lies between 100,000 and 115,000. Examples include: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (112,815 words), Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (106,821 words), and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card (100,609 words).

How many words should a romance novel be?

Romance novels tend to be shorter, lying between 80,000 and 100,000 words. However, since romance has many sub-genres, this figure may vary. (For instance, regency romances and paranormal romances must be above 40,000 words). We recommend researching the niche and checking specific imprints before you start writing your romance book.

How many words should a middle-grade novel be?

Middle-grade novels are generally 20,000 to 55,000 words. Chapter books will come in at the lower end of the spectrum, while middle-grade books meant for older readers may even slightly exceed 55,000 words. For more information on word counts for children’s book, check out this post.

And, in case you’re wondering, here are the average word counts for other popular genres:

• Young adult: 55,000 – 70,000
• Mystery: 75,000 – 100,000
• Thriller: 90,000 – 100,000
• Memoir: 80,000 – 90,000
• Western: 45,000 – 75,000

Of course, there will be books that smash these «rules.» George R.R. Martin’s longest novel in the A Song of Ice and Fire series is A Storm of Swords, at 424,000 words. JK Rowling’s longest novel is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, totaling 257,045 words. And The Fellowship of the Ring sits at 187,790 words. However, they have one similarity: they were all published by authors after they’d already become famous and built a huge fanbase, making the companies that published them lots of money.

This is not to say that epic novels are a form of storytelling reserved only for bestselling writers. Diana Gabaldon’s debut novel, Outlander, totals a cool 305k words. But if you’re still getting your start, proceed into the 100K+ word count with caution.

How do Reedsy books compare?

While writing this article, we became curious about how the length of manuscripts submitted to editors through Reedsy compared to industry standards. This is what we found:

Overall, manuscripts received by Reedsy editors seem to fall squarely within the industry averages, with a few minor outliers.

“Like with anything, an exceptional manuscript can result in exceptions to the rule,” says Jackie Bates. However, working with a professional editor is really a rule of thumb for ensuring your manuscript is in tip-top shape — and that includes your manuscript’s word count.

What’s important to remember is that a word count that exceeds industry standards is not merely an arbitrary reason for publishers and agents to refuse a query or pitch. Most of the time, an overly long word count is a symptom of major plot or pacing problems in a novel — issues that need to be solved during the revision process.

Of course, hiring a professional editor does come with a price tag, and most freelancers calculate their costs based on the number of words. In light of this, several Reedsy editors have been kind enough to offer tips for authors who are in the revision process and looking to cut down on word count.

How to stick to word count guidelines

The rule of thumb is that you shouldn’t worry about word count when you’re writing your first draft — and it should be even less of a concern in the outlining phase. If you’d like to learn more about that topic, we write extensively about how to outline a novel here.

However, if you’re done with your first draft and you’re shocked by the amount of words in it, it might be time to cut down. Let the words of Truman Capote be your revising mantra: “I’m all for the scissors. I believe more in the scissors than I do in the pencil.” Grab your scissors and take these tips into account.

1) Don’t edit until the first draft is completed
«Put your manuscript aside for a few weeks before going back to it. With a little distance, you’ll be able to see where there are superfluous scenes or unnecessary purple prose.» — Alli Brydon, former Associate Editor at Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.

2) Send extraneous movement of characters to the cutting room floor
“Extraneous movement of characters through space is something that beginning writers tend to be loyal to. It’s challenging to figure out how to move characters from one scene to the next. But readers don’t need to see every step a character makes. It’s good to leave some things to the imagination, and the reader in their own mind can fill in the blanks between scene cuts.” — Kelly Lydick, Associate Editor at Immanence Journal

3) Ask yourself, “Does the reader really need to know this?”
“One bad habit that inflates word count in historical fiction especially is the tendency to info-dump historical facts into the narration. This is a tough habit to break. In order to create a world of verisimilitude, the writer has to research all of this information, and so it’s difficult for them to believe the reader doesn’t need to know it, too. I recommend curtailing historical information to those tidbits that further the plot or help to develop a main character. This can be applied to any genre, however: if a detail doesn’t serve a purpose, it’s extraneous and should be cut.” — Jessica Hatch

4) Avoid the “brother and sister explaining family life to each other” exposition
“Be aware of what characters would know about each other/themselves, and try to be creative when imparting this information to the reader. It is possible to explain all sorts of things without being obvious or writing it directly into dialogue. Some things can be inferred.” — Jackie Bates

5) Edit out adverbs in favor of stronger verbs
«Instead of ‘walking quickly,’ why can’t your hero ‘stride’ across the room? This is especially something to keep in mind when you’re writing fight scenes.» — Jessica Hatch

6) Be aware of your over-used words
“I think every writer has ‘pet’ words they use all the time, often without realizing it. Words I tend to notice and always flag include frequently starting dialogue with ‘Well,’ — I often see more than one example of this per page, even in traditionally-published novels. I also always suggest authors do a search of their manuscript for the word ‘that’ and really question the necessity of each one. It’s a useful word but often unnecessary.” — Jackie Bates

7) Too many adjectives are not necessarily a good thing
“Great writing creates a skillful balance between what the writer provides on the page and what the reader brings to the story with their own imagination. One lean but carefully chosen, perfect-for-the-context description is much more valuable than fluffier, or lengthy descriptions of character or scene. Knowing what to keep and what to cut should be driven by voice and tone — they will dictate the cadence of the language used in the story.” — Kelly Lydick

Don’t shy away from contractions
“People frequently avoid contractions, both in narrative and dialogue, and this often (depending on when a book is set and what the characters are like) gives a sense of formality that I find quite intrusive. If appropriate to the text, I always encourage writers to use more contractions for a more direct and natural feel.” — Jackie Bates

CHEATSHEET: What Should My Word Count Be?

To make all of this info easier for you to digest, we created this cheatsheet for you to refer back to whenever you need.

It has everything you might want to know about word counts — even how long a chapter should be. Unlock it below!

To bend or not to bend the rules

We said it already, but it’s worth repeating: authors should not underestimate the value of staying within standard word counts. Editors in traditional publishing houses believe that it’s easier to market books that meet genre expectations, and if you’re hunting for a book deal or for an agent, you want to eliminate any reason for them to eliminate you. Not to mention that the longer your book is, the more time it will take to write it.

These sentiments acknowledged, these days self-publishing has given authors the ability to play around with the rules. A good example of this is is John McCrae’s (aka Wildbow’s) novel, Worm, which was published as a web serial and is 1.75 million words long. And — in the vein of four-letter titles that start with “W” — there’s Hugh Howey’s Wool, which was originally self-published as a series of e-novellas.

While sticking to standard word counts is definitely important from a sales or marketing standpoint, a greater pool of publishing options means that writers do not need to view “the rules” as entirely rigid and unbendable — especially when going against the grain ultimately serves the story. As Kelly Lydick, advises, “Adhering to standard word counts can be important — but even more important than that is the telling of a good story. Even better — a great story.”

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What are your thoughts on publishing standards, such as word counts? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

How many words are in a novel? Any work with 40,000 words or more can be considered a fully developed novel. But this differs by genre — the average word count ranges from 58,000 words in erotica to 109,000 for fantasy works.

However, some authors have more questions or even doubts about these numbers. When writing a work of fiction, considering the word count can feel like limiting the creative process. No one wants to feel like their compelling story is constrained by a number.

What first-time authors may not know is that the right word count can:

• Improve your chances at a publishing deal
• Make your work more attractive to readers
• Inform your book’s price point

For these reasons and more, it’s wise to have some context for how long most novels in your genre tend to be. Finding the word count sweet spot for your genre can propel your book to publishing.

Links in this article may earn me a small commission if you use them to purchase a product. This is at no cost to you! It helps me continue to write these handy articles that anyone can read for free!

Why is word count important?

Word counts are helpful guidelines that can improve your book’s chances of being read. Here are the top 3 reasons that your novel word count is important:

1. A novel’s word count can make or break book deals. If you are an author seeking a traditional publishing route, you know that literary agents see copious amounts of manuscripts, and competition is fierce. Just one misstep can put you out of the running. Even a high-quality manuscript will be passed over if it’s twice the expected word count. Though there are no hard and fast rules, traditional publishers usually won’t take on the first novel with over 100,000 words from a new author.
2. Word count can affect readers’ impressions. Readers tend to be experts in the genres they love. They’ve read dozens of their favorite types of novels, and they have expectations when they look up your title. If your book doesn’t fit their expectations for length, whether too long or too short, they might pass it over.
3. The number of words often determines how much your book costs. Novellas, which typically contain under 40,000 words, are usually sold at a lower price point than a full-fledged novel.

Your word count affects the opinion of both publishing houses and readers, not to mention establishing your price point.

However, the broad category of novels is full of sub-genres, so it’s essential to know exactly what word count is best for your book.

Speaking of manuscripts, I’m a big fan of Scrivener after reviewing it myself, and I even have a discount for you if you want to use it for writing your novel.

Word Count: Novel vs. Novella

One commonly asked question: Are 40,000 words enough for a novel? 40,000 words are usually not enough for a novel. The average book needs to be around 50,000 words to be considered marketable. This may be disheartening for authors of shorter works.

However, there are other genres available for books with a lower word count range. Let’s take a look at categories of books that contain fewer than 40,000 words.

• Novel: 40,000+ words (though you’re better off above 50,000 words)
• Novella: 17,500-40,000 words
• Novelette: 7,500-20,000 words
• Short story: 1,000-10,000 words
• Flash fiction: 1-1,000 words

There’s a market for shorter books, but you can help your pitch by using the proper term for your manuscript’s length.

Word Count: Adult vs. Young Adult

The reader’s age is a pivotal factor to consider when determining the best word count for your novel. Conventionally, the younger the audience, the shorter the recommended length.

Here are the best word counts for a YA novel to children’s books:

• Adult fiction: 50,000+ words
• Young adult: 45,000+ words, but ideally not over 80,000 words
• Middle grade: 22,000+ words, usually not more than 60,000 words
• First chapter book: from 5,000+ words up to about 20,000 words
• Early reader: 1,000+ words
• Picture book: 250–750 words
• Board book: 25–200 words

It’s important to meet your reader where they are developmentally and in terms of attention span with your novel word count and content. Remember your audience.

via GIPHY

No matter the age you’re writing for, you can benefit from some of our favorite book writing tools here at Kindlepreneur.

How long are novels by genre?

As we’ve seen, the genre of a novel can determine its length. Sci-fi novels top out at 377,000 words, while short stories live up to their name, averaging 30,000 words.

How many words is a typical novel? A typical novel is around 90,000 words. For reference, the average non-fiction book is only 50,000-75,000.

Though some authors far exceed this estimate, like J.K. Rowling or George R. R. Martin, their colossal fanbases predated their lengthiest works.

For a first book, it’s best to stay around the ideal word count for specific genres.

The books in the following graphic came from both publishing houses and self-published authors on Amazon. The data were averaged based on Amazon’s Top 100 Best-selling books in each genre.

To keep the average novel word counts accurate, outlier books, box sets, anthologies, and omnibuses were removed. Blue segments represent 25% of the genre, and the orange section signifies 50% of the books in each category.

The number of words in novels from the top 15 Amazon Kindle categories, according to our extensive in-house research, were:

• Fantasy: 109,000 words on average (range 27,000-318,000)
• Historical fiction: 102,000 words on average (range 6,000 to 223,000)
• Horror: 102,000 words on average (range 19,000-377,000)
• Genre fiction: 99,000 words on average (range 6,000-221,000)
• Literary fiction: 98,000 words on average (range 58,000-163,000)
• Science fiction: 98,000 words on average (range 11,000-377,000)
• Action/adventure: 96,000 words on average (range 16,000-299,000)
• Contemporary fiction: 96,000 words on average (range 33,000-196,000)
• Women’s fiction: 94,000 words on average (range 6,000-163,000)
• Mystery/thriller/suspense: 91,000 words on average (range 14,000-196,000)
• Romance: 91,000 words on average (range 19,000-194,000)
• Crime fiction: 89,000 words on average (range 24,000-180,000)
• Religious fiction: 75,000 words on average (range 13,000-161,000)
• Erotica: 58,000 words on average (range 5,000-157,000)
• Short stories: 30,000 words on average (range 4,000-101,000)

What are the key takeaways?

Here are the key takeaways of what this data can mean for your novel length:

• While a book only needs 40,000 words to make the threshold for a novel, Best-selling authors are writing closer to 90,000 words on average. Readers might expect yours to fit that mold as well.
• Fantasy, historical fiction, and horror novels are about 15% longer than other genres.
• In one case, a fantasy book was in the top 25 best sellers with approximately 42,000 words (less than half of the average length for this category). Word count matters, but rules can still be broken!

To answer the commonly asked question: Are 70,000 words enough for a novel? 70,000 words would be enough for a standard religious fiction or erotica novel. However, most authors today are averaging 90,000 words in a novel, so you may want to increase the length.

How many words are in a fantasy novel?

The average best-selling fantasy novel on Amazon contains around 109,000 words.

Remember, this is a rule of thumb. There is quite a range in the word counts needed for world-building, and creating an alternate reality can take up extra words.

In the top 10 best-sellers, there were 2 books of 50,000 words or fewer. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there were also 13 books longer than 150,000 words and one over 300,000!

How many words are in a historical fiction novel?

The average best-selling historical fiction novel on Amazon is around 102,000 words, just over the 100,000 words we recommend as the max for a first-time author.

There were only a handful of historical fiction novels under 60,000 words, and the top 10 books in this genre averaged over 110,000 words. It’s a safe bet that you should have a solid word count if you write historical fiction.

How many words are in a horror novel?

The average best-selling horror novel is around 102,000 words. To reiterate, first-time authors should not exceed 100,000 words in their first book unless it is fantasy or sci-fi.

One novel stood far and away in the title for the longest horror story and, for that matter, all standalone stories. Can you guess which one?

The correct answer is The Stand by Stephen King, one of the masters of the genre, weighing in at 500,000 words.

How many words are in a genre fiction novel?

The average best-selling fiction novel is around 99,000 words.

As you can imagine, the top 100 genre fiction books had a smattering of every subject. Nevertheless, I was a bit surprised to see a lengthy 200,000-word book on the Roman Empire make the list. It serves as a reminder to write about your passions, even if they seem niche.

How many words are in a literary fiction novel?

The average best-selling literary fiction novel is around 98,000 words.

Of the many genres, this one is relatively consistent in what works for readers. The top 100 for this category had the most negligible difference between the shortest book and the longest book. Aim for 98,000, and you’ll be golden.

How many words are in a science fiction novel?

The average best-selling science fiction novel is around 98,000 words.

Combing through the numbers, I made an interesting discovery. While science fiction stories tend to be pretty long, when compiling this list, the #1 seller in sci-fi was only 30,000 words (which decreased the average).

How many words are in an action and adventure novel?

The average best-selling action and adventure novel is around 96,000 words.

Fun fact here: All 7 of the Harry Potter books are still in the top 20 of this genre over 13 years after Harry Potter, and the Deathly Hallows was released. Now that’s the staying power of a good story.

How many words are in a contemporary fiction novel?

The average best-selling contemporary fiction novel is around 95,000 words.

Over 55% of books came in around 80,000 to 105,000 words, making this a consistent genre for the length needed to sell well.

How many words are in a women’s fiction novel?

The average best-selling women’s fiction novel is around 93,000 words.

These bestsellers ranged in a similar word count to contemporary fiction: roughly 50% of the novels contained 87,000 to 105,000 words.

How many words are in a suspense, thriller, or mystery novel?

The average best-selling mystery, thriller, or suspense novel is a slightly shorter 91,000 words.

While almost all of the novels in this category topped the 70,000-word mark, all 6 books from the Nameless series by Dean Koontz made the list. Each of the books in the series is under 20,000 words.

How many words are in a romance novel?

The average best-selling romance novel is around 90,000 words.

The romance category actually had the “youngest” collection of books in the top 100. At the time of this writing, no book on the list was published before 2013.

When it comes to love, it seems like the fresher the publication is, the better.

How many words are in a crime fiction novel?

The average best-selling crime fiction novel is around 89,000 words.

However, the top 10 in the bestseller list all ran slightly longer than this, coming in at just under 100,000 words on average.

How many words are in a religious fiction novel?

The average best-selling religious fiction novel is around 75,000 words.

About 20% of the books in this genre were under 50,000 words, so there is a definite opportunity for some shorter works here.

How many words are in an erotica novel?

The average best-selling erotica novel is around 57,000 words.

I found Erotica to be a unique category for 2 reasons. First, this genre had, by far, the most extensive range in word count among the top 100 books, fluctuating all the way from 5,000 to 150,000.

Secondly, erotica had the most boxed collections in the top 100 of any genre — almost 20 collections made the list.

How many words are in a short story?

The average best-selling short story is around 30,000 words.

Despite being called “short stories,” over 15 novels in this genre ended up being 50,000 words or longer, with one book pushing 100,000 words. Most of these longer works were collections instead of standalone stories.

The shortest story in this category? Only 4,200 words. That’s like… twice the length of this post.

How do I increase my word count?

If, after seeing all of this data, you are looking for actionable ways to increase your word count, here are some of the most effective tips:

• Send your mental editor on a short vacation. Write your whole first draft out and edit later. Not only will this increase your word count, but it will also keep you in the creative headspace instead of stopping mid-sentence from fixing a minor detail. Your book will be longer before you know it!
• Bring in a fresh face. Are there any new characters with opposing goals to your main characters that you could add to your story? What other obstacles could your hero overcome?
• Write adventures, not explanations. Are there any summaries or detailed descriptions that you “told” that you could “show” instead? Allow the reader to infer your point for themselves through action instead of spelling it out for them in a few sentences. You can learn more about outlining a story here.

As you increase your word count, let your imagination flow like this.

via GIPHY

You can always go back and remove superfluous sections later.

How do I decrease my word count?

If you suddenly realize your book is twice the length you need, here are some questions and suggestions to consider:

1. Look for non-essential scenes, characters, or subplots that can be removed from your story. A great guiding question: Does this add something essential to my novel?
2. Are there characters or scenes that accomplish the same goal? Most readers don’t need you to spell things out twice.
3. Cut to the chase. Do you start your book scenes in the middle of the action, or are there long descriptions leading up to it? If you feel the need to explain every scene, try removing it and catching the character in the thick of things.
4. Cut unnecessary adverbs or adjectives, and don’t be afraid of contractions. If you find your writing is full of adverbs and adjectives, you may want to find more striking word choices. Instead of a “very graceful and pretty,” could your character be “enchanting?” Did your character “move quickly,” or did they lunge? You don’t need more words to be descriptive, just clear ones.
5. Learn your habits. Do you always preface dialogue with a lengthy description of the surrounding countryside? Do you start all your chapters with the inner monologue of each character? Noticing your natural tendencies can help you to edit yourself.

Though editing down your longer novel can feel tedious or even painful, remember the old Oscar Wilde quote, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Your book will be better for this process.

If you’re looking for tools to help you edit, we’ve tested and reviewed dozens of editing, outlining, and formatting tools, so you don’t have to.

How many words per page are in a novel?

Now that you know how many words should be in your book, you’re likely wondering how many words per page are in a novel?

The formatting and page count of a book varies, but it’s common to fit 250-300 words per page in a novel. The exact number per page is determined by the dialogue, spacing, and typeface you’ve chosen.

How many words does a 300-page book have? A 300-page book contains about 100,000 words when printed. The number of pages can also vary based on the size of the font.

Formatting your book can feel overwhelming, which is why Kindlepreneur users prefer Vellum. Who better to trust for design help than former Pixar employees?

Want even more ideas and details? Kindlepreneur has an in-depth video on the right number of words per page for your book. Check it out below.

How Many Words Should My Novel Be?

Using the charts above, you should now be able to pinpoint a more precise range for the length of your novel. We’ve also gotten your creative juices flowing on how to add to, or edit down, your manuscript.

If you’re searching for more inspiration to write and edit your novel, check out one of these related articles, or take a look around the Kindlepreneur blog:

• Grammarly Review [2021 Update]: Is Grammarly Worth It?
• Best Writing Tools for Authors Pos
• The Best Book Writing Software

It’s worth noting that some books find success in multiple genres. I’d encourage you to write with your ideal readers in mind and simply enjoy any success your book happens to find in non-target genres.

With excellent writing, the right length, and an understanding of readers’ expectations, you’ll hopefully join one of these best-seller lists soon. Good luck, and happy writing!

Want to know how many words you should be aiming for? Here are the average word counts by genre.

How many words in a novel? And what about non-fiction? Size matters. You need to know the length of manuscript you should be working towards for your genre – whether fiction or nonfiction. It will help you set targets and plan your writing routine, be taken seriously by agents and publishers, help you secure a publishing deal – and meet the expectations of your readers. Here are the average word counts and page numbers by genre.

Reading time: 10 minutes

• A typical novel is about 80,000 words long – but may be anywhere between 60,000 to 100,000+ words
• Know your target word length so you can pitch professionally and track your progress
• The correct word count matters especially for first novels
• To work out your rough page length, divide your word count by 275
• Different genres have different conventions and length expectations – but there are always exceptions.

How many pages?

Remember Dame Sally Markham from Little Britain? She was the prolific romantic novelist based on – well, you know who. Reclining on her chaise longue, eating truffles, she would dictate yet another novel to her long-suffering secretary Miss Grace – regularly punctuated by: “How many pages?”



While Dame Sally’s motives may have been lazily filling space with any old rubbish to meet a publishing deadline, as a writer you actually do need to know how many pages – or, rather, words – to aim for. (We’ll look at page numbers later too.) But where do you begin?

How many words in a novel?

You might think a novel can be any length you like: as long as it needs to be to tell the story. But size matters. Any author who has had their editor ask them to cut 20,000 words will tell you that there are rules and conventions around acceptable length. These depend on the type of novel, its genre – and even whether or not it’s your first novel.

But how long is too long? And when does your word length fall short?

A typical novel is about 80,000 words long – but may be anywhere between 60,000 to 100,000 words. As a general rule, you should stick well within these parameters for a first novel.

A typical novel is about 80,000 words long – but may be anywhere between 60,000 to 100,000 words.

Anything under 50,000 words is generally considered a novella. And anything over 110,000 words is usually considered too long – especially for a first novel. There are exceptions, of course. Fans of established, Booker Prize-winning novelists like Hilary Mantel will devour their latest enormous tomes. Here are some other outliers:

• Edward St Aubin’s five Patrick Melrose novels average about 47,000 words each.
• Margaret Atwood’s The Blind Assassin is over 160,000 words: twice the length of the average novel.
• Lucy Ellmann’s Ducks, Newburyport, shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2019, is pretty much a single sentence spanning nearly 400,000 words.

In addition, certain genres – notably fantasy, but also some crime fiction – may be 150,000 words or more.

If you’re absolutely convinced that you need at least 200,000 words to tell your story, consider splitting it into two or even three novels – a publisher may be more interested in taking it on as a two- or three-book deal. And if you’re struggling to get anywhere near 60,000 words, perhaps you’re writing a novella – or even a short story. Or maybe you need a new subplot, extra characters, locations or timelines to maintain novel-length interest from your reader.

What does 80,000 words look like in pages? Publishers calculate the extent (page length) of books based on the words per page that fit into the chosen format (book size – in height and width) and taking into account the font and text design used.

The traditional way to work out words per page – and pages per book – is to ‘cast off’. No, this is nothing to do with fishing or knitting. It’s about calculating the number of printed pages (pp) from a raw manuscript. My first publishing job, as an Editorial Assistant for an academic publisher, back in the last century, involved preparing final manuscripts for ‘handover’ to the production department. The first task was to cast off. It went something like this:

1. Count. Take the number of words in the manuscript.
2. Divide. Divide it by the words-per-page of your chosen text design. This is the tricky bit – especially for textbooks, where the design can vary wildly. But it’s easier for novels.
3. Add. Add about 24pp. This will cover both prelims (copyright page, table of contents etc.) and postlims (index, acknowledgements etc.)
4. Round up. Due to the printing process, the final extent must always be divisible by four. Round up if necessary.

One way to get a feel for the sort of length in pages that you should be aiming for is simply to look on Amazon – or any other online bookstore that lists page numbers in its catalogue. Look up the top selling books in your genre, and note down their extents.

Other useful websites include:

• Reading Length. This estimates the extents and word lengths of books based on audiobook length. Look up a book similar to the one you’re writing to get an idea of what sort of length you should be aiming for.
• Word Counters. This uses the Amazon data feed and an algorithm to estimate word length based on page numbers, genre and format.

To work back from that to calculate the number of words you should be writing, you need to know about words-per-page.

How many words per page in a novel?

Your words per page depend on format, text design, font, font size, ‘leading’ (gap between lines), how many textual features, illustrations, etc.

But let’s not worry about any of that. Here’s a quick rule of thumb: divide your word count by 275. That will give you a rough idea of the final number of pages you’ll end up with. (Though, in reality, it could be anywhere between 250 and 300.) So an 80,000-word manuscript will become a book of roughly 292pp.

Or do it the other way around, and multiply. If you think your book should be around 284pp – based on your Amazon research, or from browsing in your local bookshop – you know that you’ll need to write roughly 78,000 words.

Word count for books by genre

There’s no single answer to how many words in a novel. While 80,000 is an average word length for an average novel (is there such a thing?), when it comes to specific genres of fiction there is some variation. Certain genres – epic fantasy fiction such as Game of Thrones, for example – will be weightier than your average romcom.

So, what are you writing? Here are some examples of specific genres and a rough guide to their typical average word counts. I’ve also included some specific titles within each genre, with their extents and estimated word counts to the nearest 1,000 words. But please bear in mind that this is an indicative guide only. There will always be exceptions to the ‘rules’.

• Début fiction: 80,000 words – for the reasons outlined above. Though there are outliers.
• Literary Fiction: 50,000–150,000 words. Because ‘literary fiction’ is used to describe any novel that doesn’t easily fit onto a specific genre, it’s hard to give a ‘typical’ word length – because it can be very wide ranging! It could be as short as The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (177pp / 48,000 words) or as long as The Secret History by Donna Tartt (503pp / 140,000 words).
• Romantic Fiction: 70,000–90,000 words. Tends to be shorter than literary fiction, or other genre fiction. Examples include The Corner Shop in Cockleberry Bay by Nicola May (328pp / 83,000 words).
• Historical Fiction: 90,000–120,000+. Tends to be longer than average. Examples include: The River Between Us by Liz Fenwick (512pp / 130,000 words, The Sewing Machine by Natalie Fergie (368pp / 112,000 words). Outliers include Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (604pp / 166,000 words).
• Science Fiction: 70,000–120,000. Examples include Isaac Asimov’s Foundation (240pp / 70,000 words), and Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel (352pp / 98,000 words).
• Fantasy: 100,000-150,000 words. Examples include The Hunger Games (384pp / 100,000). Outliers include Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire (912pp / 250,000 words).
• Thrillers: 80,000–100,000+ words. Examples include The Girl on the Train (416pp / 114,000 words)
• Crime Fiction: 80,000–150,000 words. Examples include His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet (288pp / 80,000 words) and anything by Val McDermid, such as The Distant Echo (576pp / 150,000 words)
• Horror: 80,000–100,000 words. For example Misery by Stephen King (384pp / 105,000 words). His It is an outlier at 1,088 pp / 300,000 words). Shorter horror novels include We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson (176pp / 50,000 words).
• Young Adult: 50,000–80,000 words. YA novels tend to be shorter than adult fiction. For example A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness is 240pp / 65,000 words. However, obvious exceptions include anything in the fantasy genre aimed at young people – such as the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman (book 3, The Amber Spyglass, is 560pp / 150,000 words).

How many words in a nonfiction book?

What if you’re writing nonfiction? Here are some guidelines.

• Memoir: 70,000-100,000 words. This is one of the top selling nonfiction genres. Memoir is different to autobiography. Anyone can write a memoir – you don’t need to be famous. And a memoir tends to be shorter than an autobiography, because it’s usually a slice of life on a specific theme rather than a chronological account of everything that happened in a person’s life. Examples include Love Child by Allegra Huston (304pp / 83,000 words); Maggie and Me by Damian Barr (256pp / 70,000 words); and Cult Following by Bexy Cameron (400pp / 100,000 words).
• Business books:  70,000-80,000 words. Business books shouldn’t be longer than necessary. They’re aimed at busy people who want information without having to wade through a tome to get it. These readers are investing time as well as money in your book – and you’re competing for their attention. My traditionally-published business book Get Up to Speed with Online Marketing was 75,000 words (edited down from an 84,000-word first draft). And it came in at 276pp. This is fairly typical. Other examples include How to Have a Happy Hustle by Bec Evans (304pp / 80,000 words).
• Self-help: 50,000-100,000 words. Self-help books can be quite short. Again, these are books where people want results – and if a short book can give you the transformation you want in life, so much the better. But there are exceptions, for something more in-depth and comprehensive. Examples include Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? by Dr Julie Smith (368pp / 100,000 words).
• Smart thinking: 80,000-100,000 words. A newer genre, which often overlaps with business books and self-help. The word length is more similar to novels or memoir, since these are books that are read to entertain as well as inform and educate. Examples include Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman (288pp / 80,000 words).
• Travel writing: 70,000-100,000 words. Guidebooks need to be short and portable (on the whole). This is a genre where different travel publishers will have specific – and very strict – word length and formatting conventions that their authors will be briefed on. By contrast, travel writing is more like a memoir – and the same sort of length.
• Nature writing. 80,000-100,000 words. An increasingly popular genre, which has elements of travel writing, memoir and natural history. It’s usually a personal reflection on the natural world, rather than scientific writing. Examples include the award-winning books H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald and I Belong Here by Anita Sethi (both 320pp / 88,000 words).
• Textbooks: Vary enormously, but are bigger the more comprehensive – and, usually, the lower the academic level. A first year nursing text might be a weighty tome. A monograph on the history of the Blair-era health service reforms might be a slim volume.

Bear in mind that any nonfiction may include figures, diagrams, tables and illustrations – which will need taking into account when calculating word length. If you plan a lot of these, you will have fewer words to fit into your desired page length.

There are always exceptions

While these are some rough guides to what is typical, you’ll notice that the ranges can be quite broad – and there are always outliers. If you’re writing your first novel, just write your first draft as you see fit. But, ideally, without wasting your time (and appearing inexperienced) by going massively overlength; or drafting something unpitchably short.

If you’re looking for an agent, your first 10 pages are probably the most important. So focus on them – but in the knowledge that you’ll be asked for a full manuscript if they like what they read. If you have an agent or publisher already, they’ll be able to advise you best on word length. Then make a plan, set yourself some targets – and write the thing!