Writing throws up many questions, but one of the most common questions is how long a novel should be. Most of the time, authors want a definitive number. But the answer isn’t as simple as stating a number because it largely depends on the genre of your novel and whether you are a new novelist or an established writer. So, in this article, I will outline some of the factors that influence the length of a novel.
The Industry Standard
Industry standards define the length of novels, novellas, novelettes and short stories. They are defined in the table below.
Flash Fiction | Less than 500 words |
Short Story | 1,000–7,000 |
Novelette | 7,500–15,000 |
Novella | 10,000–40,000 |
Novel | 40,000–100,000 |
The average adult novel length is about 80,000 words, and this is a good benchmark for you to aim for. Publishing veteran Jane Friedman says that 80,000 is a good length for most novels; below 60,000 isn’t long enough to be a novel, and over 120,000 is too much. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule. All the books in The Lord of the Rings trilogy are over 100,000, with the largest reaching 175,000 words. The Harry Potter series also have large word counts. But these two are exceptions to the rule, and it’s unlikely that agents and publishers will be less likely to take a risk, especially if you’re a new writer.
So, if you’re absolutely convinced you need at least 200,000 words to tell your story, you might need to consider turning it into a series. At the other end of the spectrum, if you’re struggling to reach 50,000, you might be writing a novella.
How Long?: Genre Expectations
While there are some industry standards, every genre has its own expectations. For example, fantasy, sci-fi, dystopian and historical fiction are typically longer because they require more worldbuilding and set up. On the other hand, YA and romance fiction tend to be shorter. On the whole, the following (non-exhaustive) list gives an idea of the average length in different genres:
Thriller: 70,000–90,000
Science fiction and fantasy: 90,000–120,000
Romance fiction: c.50,000
Historical fiction: c.100,000
Non-fiction: dependent on the topic
While you are writing, it is a good idea to keep these word counts in mind, so do some research beforehand.
Why Does It Matter?
You might be asking why any of this even matters; surely, you should write as many words as it takes to tell your story. And this is true to a certain extent. You can push these limits, but it will make it harder to market your book, especially if you want to traditionally publish. Traditional publishers are unlikely to accept books that fall outside these word counts because they know what works and what doesn’t in that genre. Most readers will expect a novel of a certain length in a certain genre. Traditional publishers might be willing to take a risk on an author who already has an established audience, but if you are a new novelist, they will probably reject your novel.
Summary
So, as you are writing your novel, keep in mind that audiences, agents and publishers will expect your novel to be a certain length. For a novel, this will be between 40,000 to 100,000, with some genres closer to the 40,000 mark and others closer to 100,000. You need to know what the typical length of novels in your genre are because that will make it easier to sell your novel to agents and publishers if you go the traditional publishing route and to the audience regardless of whether you traditionally publish or self-publish. I would recommend sticking to these guidelines unless you are absolutely determined to push the limits.
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