How long should my book be? Book word counts by genre & form
Look at the books on your shelf and the idea of book word counts may seem arbitrary. Books come in a huge range of shapes, sizes and lengths.
They range from epics like War and Peace (which comes in at over 550,000 words) to short novels like The Great Gatsby (with a word count a little over 47,000). So as long as the story grabs and engages a reader, word count shouldn’t matter, right?
Unfortunately, as a new author, word count can make a big difference to the success or failure of your story. Here, to get to the bottom of why that is, I’ll be answering the following questions:
How long should my book be?
Why do book word counts matter?
What do I do if my book word count is over or under these guidelines?
How long should my book be?
Because books can be published in paperback or hardback — and with different page dimensions and font sizes — we don’t count pages. Instead, we judge the length of a book by counting the number of words it contains.
Here’s how long your book should be, depending on its form and genre.
How long should a short story be?
The average word count for a short story is somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 words.
How long should a novella be?
A novella sits between a short story and a novel. The average word count for a novella tends to be 10,000 to 50,000 words.
How long should a novel be?
The word count for a novel is upwards of 50,000 words, with an average word count of between 70,000-110,000 words. Published in a paperback format, this would translate to around 250 to 400 pages. But this isn’t a hard and fast rule. The recommended number of words for a novel varies by genre.
Book word counts by genre
Commercial fiction. Books that fit into the commercial fiction genre (we’re talking thrillers, crime and contemporary romance) tend to have a word count of 70,000 to 100,000 words.
Some examples: The Viaduct Killings by Wes Markin (76,000 words). The Affair by Claire Allan (91,000 words). Always on My Mind by Beth Moran (98,000 words)
Literary fiction. There’s more book length leeway with literary fiction, which tends to be more experimental and serious than commercial fiction.
Some examples: On Earth we’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong (63,000 words). Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (160,000 words)
Sci-fi and fantasy fiction. Sci-fi and fantasy books again have a large variety in word counts. For more cosy SFF, lower word counts are more common, and for epic stories, word counts can get extremely high. Think Brandon Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive, in which the average word count for the books in the series is around 400,000 words.
For new writers, I’d say anything up to 140,000 words is acceptable, as over this, you may struggle to find an agent/publisher willing to take the risk. (Remember, the more words, the more costly it is to edit and print.)
Some examples: Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree (~75,000 words). Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (121,000 words). The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett (127,000 words).
Historical fiction. The average length of a novel in the historical fiction genre is somewhere between 100,000 and 120,000 words.
Some examples: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (117,000 words). Excalibur by Peter Gibbons (95,000 words).
Romance/women’s fiction. Average word counts for romance novels are between 70,000 and 90,000 words. Category romance comes in shorter, around 50,000-60,000 words. Historical romance books tend to be longer. And romantasy fiction can stretch to the upper end of sci-fi and fantasy word counts, ranging from 70,000 to 120,000 words, with many being even longer than this.
Some examples: Not in a Billion Years by Camilla Isley (87,000 words). A Lady's Fortune by Jane Dunn (100,000 words), Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (206,000 words).
Why do book word counts matter?
After seeing those word count averages, you may be wondering why book word counts matter and whether it even does, considering how many outliers there are to the rules. Why can’t you just take as many words as you need to write the story you want to tell? Here are four very good reasons why — particularly as a new writer — you should try to stick to the guidelines.
Creating a satisfying story
If your book falls significantly short of your genre’s word count guidelines, this could be a sign that your story doesn’t have a satisfying arc. Or that your characters, plot and themes are under-developed.
On the other hand, if you’re way over the average word count, it could be a sign that your book drags. It may contain lots of meandering passages and subplots that don’t contribute to the progress of your story.
Getting an agent or publishing deal
As a new, previously unpublished writer, it’s best to stick to the word count guidelines provided by agents and publishers.
Taking on a new writer is a gamble. The longer the book, the more expensive it is to publish. There’s extra editing, printing and binding to consider. And with a huge pile of submissions to wade through, word count is an easy way to weed out writers whose work is (based on probability) likely to miss the mark.
You may have a stellar story that goes over or under the average length of a book. But failing to meet the guidelines of agents and publishers — including their specified word count — is one of the reasons books get rejected.
Earning the right to be more flexible with word counts
Established writers can get away with longer or shorter book word counts. If you’ve already published a successful novel and have something of a following, agents and publishers may give you the freedom to break word count rules. But first you need to catch their attention with a story of a conventional length.
Meeting reader expectations
Even if you’re self-publishing your story, sticking to word count guidelines has its benefits. It helps you to meet reader expectations. For example, if readers buy your novel online, only to find that it comes in at 40,000 words, they’re likely to feel short-changed.
What do I do if my fiction book word count is over or under these guidelines?
Hopefully, you now know how long a book should be. But if a finished draft of your fiction book doesn’t sit within the word count ranges I’ve listed above, don’t worry.
A little over or under the specified word count is usually nothing to fret about. And if your story is more than 10,000 words in either direction, you just need to revise and edit your manuscript.
If your book is too short:
Consider whether your protagonist has a strong character arc — and whether all characters are believable and suitably complex.
Check that you’re creating a sense of time and place for readers, particularly after story transitions.
Ask yourself if the plot is too simple. Is there enough conflict? Do your characters experience setbacks? Are characters overcoming obstacles too easily?
Look at the pacing of your story. If you’re speeding through the action, you may be able to slow things down a little, giving your readers a chance to take a breath and root for the characters you’ve created.
If your book is too long:
Check that every scene has a purpose. It should reveal something new about your characters — or move the story forward. If a scene is performing neither function, question whether you need it.
Identify any scenes or characters you wouldn’t mention in your book synopsis. What would happen if you cut these scenes or characters altogether?
Consider whether you’ve included too much exposition. Following the “show, don’t tell” rule is a great way to tighten up your story.
Ignore the rules and keep your epic story as it is. But shelve it and write a shorter story that gets your foot in the door. You can then publish your longer book later, when you're more established as an author.
If you’re still not sure how to increase or decrease the number of words in your novel, get feedback from others. Ask your readers if they think there’s a satisfying story arc — or if they found themselves getting bored. Ask whether they think you’re nailing the six key elements of fiction.
And if you want professional feedback, turn to a fiction editor, like me. As part of a manuscript assessment, I give thorough and constructive feedback on story structure and pacing. I identify areas that need trimming or developing — and give you tips on putting my feedback into action.
In conclusion: how long should a book be?
Most novels have a word count between 70,000 and 110,000 words. And — if you’re a debut author — knowing and sticking to word count guidelines is important.
Don’t worry too much while you’re writing. But once your first draft is done, see how your word count measures up. If your story falls short of the average — or comes in way over — examine why that might be the case. It may be that your plot, characters, structure or pacing could use some work.
Above all, make sure that your story falls within the word count guidelines specified by your preferred agents and publishers. A conventional word count is one of the first indicators they get that your story is commercially viable and well-structured. So it’s a great way to avoid the rejection pile.
Want useful story feedback from someone unafraid to give constructive criticism? Then, take a look at my manuscript assessment service and get in touch to chat about your project.