What Is The Right Word Count for a Novel (and Its Variation by Genre)?
When it comes to writing a novel, one of the most common questions authors face is how long their manuscript should be. Word count plays a crucial role in both the writing and publishing process, influencing not only the pacing and structure of a story but also its marketability. While there’s no absolute rule about how long a novel must be, understanding the average word count for different genres can help you gauge what’s expected in the industry and determine what’s appropriate for your own work.
Most novels typically range between 70,000 to 100,000 words, though there are exceptions on both ends. Some genres and story types require more or less length depending on the structure, pacing, and audience. Publishers and agents often have preferences for certain word counts based on reader expectations, genre conventions, and market trends.
Novels that involve complex plots, multi-layered characters, or detailed world-building often require more words to fully explore. Fast-paced genres like thrillers and mysteries are often shorter because they are designed to keep the reader on edge with quick transitions, limited exposition, and fewer subplots. Adult fiction can afford longer novels, while YA and middle grade novels are typically shorter.
Publisher Expectations And Word Count
The publishing industry has certain expectations about word count, which can vary over time. Historical trends may affect how long a book should be to be competitive in the market. A particular genre may trend longer or shorter depending on audience demand, so it’s important to be aware of market preferences when deciding on the length of your manuscript.
Word Count For Genre
Literary Fiction
Average Word Count: 60,000 to 120,000 words
Literary fiction has more flexibility when it comes to word count. These novels tend to focus on character development, prose, and thematic depth rather than fast-paced plotlines. Literary fiction works may lean toward the longer end of the spectrum, particularly if the story is complex and involves intricate world-building or deeply layered characters.
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt (around 800 pages), which is over 200,000 words, is considered a modern epic in literary fiction.
Historical Fiction
Average Word Count: 90,000 to 120,000 words
Historical fiction can tend to longer novels, as writers need to provide detailed world-building, complex plots and accurately depict their research. Readers of historical fiction also tend to expect immersive, richly detailed stories, and so naturally longer word counts.
Romance/ Young Adult (YA)
Average Word Count: 60,000 to 90,000 words
Short and sweet romance and accessible, well-paced YA typically fall within the 60,000 to 90,000-word range. The focus of romance is on the relationship between characters, and plots can be relatively straightforward without much world-building. You just don’t need the word count.
Mystery/Thriller/Crime
Average Word Count: 70,000 to 90,000 words
These genres have fast-paced plots, designed for turning pages, and so may be more concise in terms of word count. Thrillers aim for a tight, quick pace, that can be read quickly, while crime and mystery novels allow more space to develop the plot and characters.
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn has a word count of around 80,000 words.
Science Fiction
Average Word Count: 90,000 to 120,000 words
Sci-fi novels vary widely in length as well as tone and scope. Hard sci-fi, which focuses on scientific accuracy and complex concepts, often requires a higher word count, while more space opera or action-oriented sci-fi can be shorter. The genre’s emphasis on detailed world-building and speculative ideas and alien cultures often needs some time and space to help the reader enjoy it. This can lead to much higher word counts. Dune by Frank Herbert is a science fiction whopper, at almost 190,000 words.
Fantasy
Average Word Count: 90,000 to 150,000 words (though epic fantasy can exceed 200,000)
Fantasy fiction is the daddy of the long novel. It tends to be on the longer side due to the extensive world-building required and is often marketed as “epic” – a quality its knowledgeable readers adore. Fantasy writers create entire worlds, magic systems, and histories, which suck up words. It is not at all uncommon for fantasy novels to head towards a quarter of a million words!
How Hard Are Word Count “Rules”?
A story’s needs should always come first. If your story requires more words to tell it, that’s okay—but two words of warning. First, be realistic and honest about whether this is what your book really needs or it’s just what you want. Second, expect your editor to trim down unnecessary content in the revision process. Conversely, if your novel is too short, consider if an editor will be concerned about that too.
Focus on telling the best version of your story, and the appropriate length will follow naturally.
How To Write A Novel Chapter By Chapter available here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Novel-Chapter-Outlining-ebook/dp/B0DJ8TMVWL?ref_=ast_author_mpb
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