What Is the Average Novel Word Count by Genre for Writers?
Learn the average word count of a novel by genre - romance, fantasy, YA and middle grade - and how to pick the most suitable manuscript length.
Quick Summary
- Most adult novels are 70,000 to 100,000 words in length, although many commercial novels fall somewhere between 80,000 and 90,000 words as this is sufficient for plot, character and pacing.
- Word count varies significantly across genres, especially between romance, mystery, and thrillers, which tend to be shorter, and fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction, which can be longer due to the amount of research or worldbuilding or multiple plotlines that may be needed.
- Most adult fiction manuscripts have to be longer than 40,000 words to appeal to readers and to the publishing company, particularly in traditional publishing.
- For debut novelists, there is a safe range, which is usually market friendly. In most of the adult fiction categories, 80,000 to 90,000 words is a good benchmark as it demonstrates control, a sense of revision discipline and genre awareness.
- Right word count must be in service of the story. The novel should not be rushed; there should be a sense of moving forward in every scene, chapter and subplot, and a short novel should not be too short.
What Is the Average Word Count for a Novel?
Generally, a novel for an adult is 70,000 words to 100,000 words. The length of many commercial novels is in the safe zone of 80,000 to 90,000 words, the range generally accepted for adult fiction.
But this is not to say that all novels need to be within this range! Some books are short because the story is brief and concise. Others are longer because they have to build the world, have additional timelines, or more characters in the story. Regardless, if you are targeting traditional publishing, the word count would be close to what is expected for your genre.
In most situations, it is a good idea for a first novel writer to fall within the range. It means that you are aware of the market and have disciplined your manuscript.I consider these word counts as guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules, because it varies depending on genre, pacing, audience, and purpose.
Average Novel Word Count by Genre
Below are the ranges organized by genre for easy comparison of your manuscript to the expectations of a reader and a publisher.
| Genre | Average Word Count Range | Common Target for Writers |
|---|---|---|
| General adult fiction | 70,000–100,000 | 80,000–90,000 |
| Literary fiction | 70,000–100,000 | 80,000–95,000 |
| Commercial fiction | 75,000–100,000 | 80,000–90,000 |
| Romance | 50,000–100,000 | 70,000–90,000 |
| Mystery | 75,000–95,000 | 80,000–90,000 |
| Thriller and suspense | 80,000–100,000 | 85,000–95,000 |
| Crime fiction | 75,000–100,000 | 80,000–95,000 |
| Horror | 70,000–100,000 | 75,000–90,000 |
| Fantasy | 90,000–120,000 | 95,000–110,000 |
| Epic fantasy | 110,000–150,000 | 120,000–140,000 |
| Science fiction | 80,000–120,000 | 90,000–110,000 |
| Historical fiction | 80,000–120,000 | 90,000–100,000 |
| Young adult fiction | 55,000–80,000 | 60,000–75,000 |
| YA fantasy or sci-fi | 70,000–100,000 | 75,000–90,000 |
| Middle grade fiction | 25,000–50,000 | 35,000–45,000 |
| Chapter book | 5,000–15,000 | 8,000–12,000 |
These are not hard and fast guidelines. The ideal word count will vary according to age-appropriate level, genre, pace, complexity and publishing route.The "common target" column is the lowest-risk column if you are writing your first novel, or are looking to query agents.
What Counts as a Novel, Novella, Novelette, or Short Story?
Many writers mix up novel length with other forms of fiction. Let's take a simple look:
| Format | Typical Word Count |
|---|---|
| Flash fiction | Under 1,500 words |
| Short story | 1,500–7,500 words |
| Novelette | 7,500–17,500 words |
| Novella | 17,500–40,000 words |
| Novel | 40,000+ words |
40,000 words makes a novel, but many types of adult fiction require a longer manuscript. A 40,000-word adult novel is a bit short of sufficient in the traditional publishing arena, unless it is within a certain category, style, or market.I have provided this breakdown as many writers would categorize any story longer than a novel as such, though most publishers use word count to determine the category.
Why Novel Word Count Matters?
Word count isn't just a matter of technique. It influences readers, agents, editors and publishers' experiences of your book.
1. Word Count Affects Reader Expectations
Readers have expectations according to genre. A reader of fantasy wants a bigger world, and a longer story. Thriller readers are looking for speed and tension. Romance readers want to feel the emotions but don't want to get into too much side-story.
If your novel is what they are expecting, they feel more comfortable and comfortable with your work.
2. Word Count Affects Pacing
Sometimes a manuscript can be too brief, and thus it may rush through crucial scenes. If a piece of writing is too long, it can contain a repetition of ideas, weak secondary plots, and a lot of exposition.
A helpful revision question to ask is are all the scenes changing something?
If a scene fails to show character, create tension, advance the plot or deepen conflict, or change the reader's understanding, it might need to be cut or combined.
3. Word Count Affects Publishing Decisions
Word count is an early indicator that agents and editors are looking for. If there is a manuscript that is way out of line, it may indicate that the author has not done enough research or editing.
This is especially true for first-time writers. If someone is already an established author, then he can have more flexibility as he already has a readership.
4. Word Count Affects Printing and Pricing
The longer the book, the higher the cost of the printing. The more pages, the higher the production cost, the higher the retail price and the greater the risk of publishers. One of the things is that very long debut novels are harder to sell.
Word count is also a factor in self-publishing formatting, paper back pricing, audio book length and the reader's impression.
Is It Bad If Your Novel Is Too Short?
If the story line is weak, character development is rushed, or the ending is too soon after the conflict, then a novel is too short. If the book is a novel and less than 60,000 words, it will cause concern unless it is literary, experimental, category romance or short intended.
Do not "pad" a manuscript that is too short. Rather, pay attention to meaningful growth.
A short manuscript can be enriched by incorporating the following:
- Deeper character motivation
- Stronger internal conflict
- Additional hurdles for the protagonist to overcome towards the goal
- Better-developed subplots
- More detail on key scenes in a senses-based manner.
- A more distinct central reversal.
- Greater emotional consequences
The purpose is not to hype up the book. The objective is to finish the story.
Is It Bad If Your Novel Is Too Long?
If there are scenes that are the same emotional beat, if exposition drags the story, or if subplots detract from the story, then a novel may be too long. There are no rules against long manuscripts, but each additional word must be justified.
If your manuscript is too long, dedicate time to revision, rather than chopping in haphazard ways.
The word count can be less if you eliminate:
- Repeated explanations
- Overwritten descriptions
- Redundant dialogue
- Backstory that comes up too early.
- Inconsistent shots that do not have a logical purpose.
- Any minor characters that do not play a significant role in the story.
- A subplot that does not relate to the main story line.
Manuscript tightness translates to more confident written material.
Best Word Count for a Debut Novel
The best guideline for an adult novel in its debut is 80,000 to 90,000 words. Suitable for a wide range of commercial fiction, literary fiction, mystery, romance, suspense and general fiction.
There are exceptions. History, science fiction and fantasy can be longer. YA and middle grade length should be shorter.
It is not the longest word count that's the best debut count. It is the length that makes the reader feel they have a complete, well paced, emotionally satisfying story.For a debut adult novel, I think 80,000 to 90,000 words is a fairly reasonable size for the story to be for me.
For Example: I use these word count ranges as practical guidelines because I know writers often feel unsure whether their manuscript is too short, too long, or ready for submission. My goal is to make the numbers easier to understand so you can revise your novel with more confidence.
Traditional Publishing vs. Self-Publishing Word Count
Traditional publishing is generally more attuned to word count than other publishing options, as agents and editors must take into account the market's expectations, production costs, bookstore placement, and sales risk.
While self-publishing offers writers more freedom, it doesn't mean word count isn't still important. Judging value, pacing and genre fit remains. If a self-published thriller is too slow to get going, readers will drop it. Too short of a fantasy novel can be considered underdeveloped. If it's a romance novel with too much schtick in between, then genre readers might be disappointed.
Traditional or self-publishing, word count should be used for the reader.
How to Choose the Right Word Count for Your Novel
Follow genre guidelines as a target, but not a cage. The number of words you include in your book will vary according to the promise that you make to your reader.
Ask these questions:
- In what genre and age group am I writing?
- What is expected of the reader of this genre?
- Do I need to do any worldbuilding, research or multiple points of view in my story?
- Am I moving too fast, too slow or at an appropriate speed?
- Would an agent/reader first notice the length as odd?
- Are all the chapters necessary to the plot?
Your word count is likely to be okay if your book is in the normal range and the story seems to be finished.
You can draft with the free word counter and compare your manuscript against word count in pages or short story, novella, and novel word counts.
Average Chapter Length for Novels
The length of most novel chapters is 2,000 to 5,000 words, depending on the genre and style of the book.
Short chapters can be used to add speed to thrillers. Literary fiction can have longer, more contemplative chapters. With the added aspect of worldbuilding and multiple plot lines, fantasy might feature the option of longer chapter lengths.
The length of the chapter is not as important as the purpose. A good chapter should develop movement, tension, or change. It should make the reader want to read more.
Interesting Research Facts
Full citations are in Sources below.
Modern novels average around 98,000 words
According to a study of the NOCHA dataset from 2024, the average length of contemporary fiction in words and tokens was 98,587 and 127,324, respectively.
Source: Karpinska et al., 2024 — EMNLP / ACL Anthology
Too many words can reduce engagement
More text is good up to a certain limit, but too much creates a problem. The research reveals an inverted U-shaped effect: the more text, the better the up to a certain point, but too much is a problem.
Source: Moy et al., 2018 — PLOS ONE
Short story cycles depend on compression
Short fiction, due to its word length constraints, must deal in more implication, inference, and in the careful selection of details.
Source: Altieri, 2020 — The Macksey Journal
Historical fiction often needs extra space
Historical context, detail, and framing may take longer than contemporary fiction.
Source: Cole, 2019 — University of Bristol
Genre signals strengthen with length
When a longer text is used, the genre-specific vocabulary, pacing and stylistic patterns are better revealed.
Source: Zheng, 2025 — Taylor & Francis / Cogent Arts & Humanities
Frequently Asked Questions
1.What is the length of a novel?
The length of the majority of (adult) novels is 70,000 to 100,000 words. If you're a new writer, 80,000 to 90,000 words is a good estimate.
2.Is 50,000 words a novel or a novella?
Generally, a 50,000 word manuscript is regarded as a short novel. Some adult genres, however, might require a longer word count.
3.Is 100,000 words too long for a debut novel?
Not always. While a 100,000-word debut novel can be successful, it needs to be well-edited, particularly for genres such as fantasy, science fiction or historical fiction.
4.Is 120,000 words too long for a first novel?
Depends on the genre. In a fantasy or sci-fi novel, 120,000 words might be OK, but for romance, mystery, thriller or literary fiction, it might be too long.
5.Is 20,000 words enough for a book?
A novella or a short novella is more like a 20,000-word story than a novel. If the story feels complete, it can still work.
6.Are agents looking for books of a certain length?Do agents turn down books for size?
Yes, querying can help or hinder the word count. If the manuscript is outside the range, agents might consider that the book requires additional changes.
7.Should I cut my novel if it's too long?
Yes, scenes that repeat information, slow the pacing or do not advance the story. Don't cut the story to be shorter, it should be stronger.
8.What is a good length for a novel chapter?
The average length of the most novel chapters is 2,000 to 5,000 words. The ideal length of the chapter is determined by pacing, genre, and the purpose of the scene.
How we reviewed this article:
Share this article
Written by
SEO Expert, AEO & GEO Specialist
Muneeb Maqsood is an SEO Expert, AEO & GEO Specialist with over 5 years of experience focused on delivering measurable business growth. He helps brands improve search visibility, attract qualified leads, and most importantly, convert organic traffic into paying customers through strategic, intent-driven optimization.
He has worked with and helped grow multiple established brands including Viking Bags, Elite Sports, and GForce Security, delivering performance-focused SEO strategies that improve rankings, visibility, and conversions. His work is centered on turning SEO into a revenue channel by aligning search intent with business outcomes and sustainable growth.
Related articles
More guides from the MilkySEO blog.
