A novel is usually defined as a work of fiction of 40,000 words or more. Most adult novels sold by publishers run about 80,000 to 100,000 words, and science fiction and fantasy often run longer, around 100,000 to 115,000. A novella is about 17,500 to 40,000 words, a novelette 7,500 to 17,500, and a short story under 7,500.
Word count is the most practical way to measure a book. Pages depend on fonts and formatting; words don't. If you know roughly how long your kind of book usually runs, you know how big your draft needs to be, and how many words a day will get you there.
Fiction lengths by form
These bands are the ones used by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association for the Nebula Awards, and they're widely used as general definitions.
| Form | Word count |
|---|---|
| Short story | Under 7,500 |
| Novelette | 7,500 to 17,499 |
| Novella | 17,500 to 39,999 |
| Novel | 40,000 or more |
Flash fiction, usually under 1,000 words, sits inside the short story band.
Novel lengths by genre
These ranges come from Writer's Digest's widely cited guide by Chuck Sambuchino. They describe what agents and publishers generally expect from a debut, not hard rules.
| Genre | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Literary, mainstream, romance, mystery, thriller, horror | 80,000 to 89,999 is the safe target; roughly 71,000 to 109,000 overall |
| Science fiction and fantasy | 100,000 to 115,000 |
| Young adult | 55,000 to 79,999 |
| Middle grade | 20,000 to 55,000 (upper middle grade 40,000 to 55,000) |
| Picture books | About 500 to 600 |
| Memoir | 80,000 to 89,999, with 70,000 to 99,999 acceptable |
Established authors and self-published books vary much more. A first draft can also be any length: most drafts grow or shrink by thousands of words in revision.
Is 50,000 words a novel?
By the 40,000-word definition, yes. It's the target for November novel challenges for that reason. But it's short for most adult genres, so treat a 50,000-word November draft as a strong first draft that will grow in revision. Our guide to writing a novel in November covers how to get there, and the NaNoWriMo alternatives page lists this year's challenges.
Turning a word count into a plan
- Pick your target from the tables above.
- Divide by the days you have. 80,000 words over six months is about 440 words a day. The word count goal calculator does this for you, with rest days.
- Convert to pages if you need to. 80,000 words is about 320 double-spaced manuscript pages; the words to pages converter handles other formats.
- Write the daily number forward. Rereading and fixing earlier chapters is the most common reason long drafts stall. See how to finish a first draft.
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a novel?
40,000 words or more by the usual definition. Most adult novels from traditional publishers run about 80,000 to 100,000 words.
How many words is a short story?
Under 7,500 words. Flash fiction is usually under 1,000.
How many words is a novella?
About 17,500 to 40,000 words.
How many pages is an 80,000-word novel?
About 320 double-spaced manuscript pages, at roughly 250 words a page. As a printed paperback it's often around 300 pages, depending on the design.
How long does it take to write a novel?
It depends on your daily pace. At 1,000 words a day, an 80,000-word draft takes about 80 writing days. At 500 a day, about 160.
