‘How long should my novel be?’ Or ‘what is the average word count for a novel?’ These are two of the most common queries we receive as editors and literary consultants. While we wish there were a simple, catch-all answer to this question, the reality is that book length varies greatly for many different reasons. 

We’ve put together this editor’s guide to the ins and outs of word counts to try and help you discern how long your book should be and to understand how and why it makes a difference. 

Why does book length matter?

Most editors, literary agents and publishers (as well as literary professionals, academics and authors alike) quantify manuscript length by word count rather than by number of pages. This gives a more accurate overall impression of the length of the book, without having to factor in font style, size or varied formatting.

Unfortunately, the ideal that ‘your story should be as long as it needs to be’ doesn’t quite work in traditional publishing. This is the case in English language publishing in particular, which tends to discourage experimental genres, unlike many other international markets. 

There are general parameters for book length that publishers prefer and agents look for. But before we explore the general expectations, it is crucial to understand why they exist in the first place. Why do word counts matter at all? 

First and foremost, publishing is a business — it takes resources to print and edit, typeset, design, publish and market books. It takes even more resources to translate those books for international markets. A publisher has to be certain that their financial investment in your book will be repaid in sales. If your book deviates too far in length (in either direction) from the expected average for its genre or age-group, sales will likely be lower and your book is not as reliable an investment for a publisher. Likewise, any literary agent must be confident in their ability to pitch a book to at least a publisher. If your book presents a challenge in the form of an abnormal word count, you make an agent’s job harder and you’re less attractive an acquisition. 

Beyond the mercenary, however, there are some valid literary reasons why word count is worth attention. A literary agent considering a pitch will look closely at word count to tell them the following things about your book:

High word count: is this book loosely structured, overwritten and in need of significant editing of plot and style?

Low word count: is this book underdeveloped and underwritten, in need of significant editing up to fulfil its potential? 

Irregular word count in either direction: does this writer have sufficient knowledge of the expectations for their genre and market? 

As a general rule, agents will wonder — if a writer cannot control their word count, or lacks knowledge of the necessary narrative development for their genre, just how good will their book be overall? 

It might seem strange that something so simple serves as an indicator of overall quality, but it is consistently true and rarely misjudged. 

So, how long should your book be?

Expected ‘ideal’ word counts or book lengths vary by genre, type and age group. Below is a rough guide to the general word counts agents and publishers recommend.

Adult fiction length

The average adult fiction novel should be between 80,000 and 120,000 words long, with most agents agreeing that the ‘sweet spot’ is around 90,000 words. This is long enough to indicate a well-developed novel, with plenty of room remaining for further editing.

Amongst the genres, thrillers tend towards a lower end of this bracket, relying as they do on tight plotting and fast narrative pace. Commercial thrillers tend towards this pattern, with titles such as Lisa Jewell’s I Found You numbering 88,000 words. There are objections to the rule, however, often amongst literary and upmarket thrillers. Take for example, R.F Kuang’s Yellowface, which clocks in at 100,464 words. 

Science-fiction and fantasy are often longer and carry higher word counts thanks to the amount of world-building necessary to support plot and a higher than average cast of characters. Authors like Sarah J Maas frequently rack up hefty word counts, with her A Court of Thorns and Roses numbering 130,000 words and Cixin Liu’s The Three Body Problem hitting 100,000 words, often standard for science fiction titles. 

Literary fiction tends towards the lower end of the scale, given the complexity of its prose and concentrated nature of its plot, but there are always exceptions. George Saunders’ award winning Lincoln in the Bardo, for example, comes in at 92,000 words, whilst Barabara Kingsolver’s Demon Copperhead breaks the pattern at over 165,000 words! Historical fiction also frequently floats towards the upper end of the scale of book length, with titles like Amor Towles’ A Gentleman in Moscow reaching over 130,000 words.

If you are diligently editing your novel and find that it consistently comes in below 80,000 words or above 120,000 don’t let this put you off submission. Always remember that these are not immovable and undisputed rules— they are only guidelines.

That’s full-length fiction, but how long should a novella be? And how many words in a short story? The average novella should fall between 17,000 and 40,000 words and a short story can number anything between 1,500 and 8,000 words, but generally does not exceed 10,000 words. A collection of short stories should aim for between 40,000 and 60,000 words long.

Adult non-fiction length

Non-fiction possesses such immense variety in its output that there is no such thing as the ‘average work of non-fiction’. As such, ‘how long should my non-fiction book be?’ is a tricky answer to pin down.

In general, works of memoir or narrative non-fiction should come in between 60,000 and 90,000 words, whereas technical guides, trade non-fiction and self-help books should aim for the slightly shorter 50,000 words. Historical non-fiction frequently ranges highest, with an average of 75,000 words.

YA fiction length

Teetering on the brink between children’s fiction and adult fiction, Young Adult (YA) fiction is one of the most flexible genres in terms of book length. Since it covers readers of ages 13-21 years, the variety in content and complexity can be considerable. In general, however, most YA will find its sweet spot between 70,000 and 90,000 words, with YA fantasy coming in a little higher, between 75,000 and 100,000 words or more — think Cassandra Clare, whose City of Bones volumes average 120,000 to140,000 words. This allows for development of increasingly adult plot and character without overwhelming younger readers with excessively long novels. 

Middle grade fiction length

Split across two main age groups, 7-10 years and 9-12 years (8-12 under some publishers), middle grade fiction also shows considerable variety in expected word count. Overall, the average middle grade novel should fall in the 20,000-100,00 words bracket. Lower middle grade, suitable for children aged 7-10 years should fall between 20,000 and 50,000 words, whilst upper middle grade for 9-12 years can fall anywhere between 40,000 and 100,000 words. The average middle grade novel generally clocks up 50,000 words, but the trend for children’s writing is consistently up and higher word counts for middle grade are increasingly acceptable. 

Picture book length

Children’s picture books vary in length depending on their target development. ‘Developed’ picture books that carry a higher density of text to image can number as many as 1,000 words, though these are unusual. Most picture books intended for pre-school aged children and very early readers fall between 400 and 800 words and many literary agents will advocate for the lower, the better. Picture books for toddlers should avoid exceeding 500 words. Pat Hutchins’ Rosie’s Walk tells a thumping good story in only 32 words.

While it is always wise to keep word count in mind, don’t let these guidelines undermine your confidence and conviction. If your book falls outside the ‘general rule’ or ‘average word count/length’, this is not an immediate indicator that something is wrong with your writing. It is always acceptable to advocate for the length of your novel, just be prepared to answer questions and to edit your work.

Miles Hawksley is a senior editor at the Literary Studio.

© Illustration by Pat Hutchins, Red Fox Fox Picture Books, 2009