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Is my manuscript too short? Or far too long? Almost everyone working on their first book asks this. How long is a novel, actually? There is no fixed rule, but there are clear guidelines that differ considerably by genre. Here you will learn what length readers expect, how word count translates into book pages and what to do if your text is far off.
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When is a story a novel?
Fiction can be roughly grouped by length. The boundaries are fluid, but as a guide:
| Type | Words (approx.) | Typical features |
|---|---|---|
| Short story | 1,000 to 7,500 | One event, few characters |
| Novelette | 7,500 to 20,000 | A little more room, usually one plotline |
| Novella | 20,000 to 50,000 | A compact story, often a series starter or bonus |
| Novel | from about 50,000 | Several plotlines, developed character arcs |
Novel length by genre
These guidelines reflect what has become established in each genre. There are always exceptions, but if you are far off, you should have a good reason.
| Genre | Words (guideline) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Contemporary romance | 60,000 to 90,000 | Romcoms often at the lower end |
| Dark romance | 70,000 to 110,000 | More complex dynamics need more room |
| New adult | 70,000 to 100,000 | Often two POVs |
| Romantasy | 90,000 to 130,000 | Worldbuilding and love story both need space |
| High fantasy | 100,000 to 150,000 | Debuts better not go far beyond |
| Crime and thriller | 70,000 to 100,000 | Pace matters more than length |
| Cosy crime | 60,000 to 80,000 | Rather compact |
| Young adult | 50,000 to 80,000 | Depends on reader age |
Words and book pages
The page count of the finished book depends heavily on trim size, font size and typesetting. In a common paperback format, roughly 250 to 350 words fit on a page. So 80,000 words become about 250 to 320 book pages.
Many editors price by word count. Some, especially in Europe, price by standard page of 1,500 characters including spaces, which is roughly 200 to 250 words.
Why length matters
Reader expectations
People who read a genre regularly have a feel for the usual length. A romance with 180,000 words is off-putting, a fantasy saga with 50,000 words feels thin.
Costs
Every extra page costs money in editing and proofreading. For a paperback, printing costs rise and with them the minimum price. More in How Much Does a Book Editor Cost?.
Pricing
Length also matters for ebooks, because readers compare price and page count.
Is your manuscript too long?
- Check scenes: does every scene move the plot or character development forward? If not, cut or merge.
- Trim subplots: which side threads have little to do with the main conflict?
- Tighten description: long descriptions of landscapes and rooms can often be halved.
- Cut repetition: is the same information conveyed several times?
- Split it: for very long fantasy novels, splitting into two books can make sense if both parts have their own arc.
Is your manuscript too short?
- Expand scenes instead of summarising: important moments are often only told instead of shown as a scene. See Show, Don’t Tell.
- Deepen characters: more inner perspective, more conflict, more relationship.
- Add obstacles: does the character reach their goal too easily?
- Strengthen side characters: a well-thought-out subplot can enrich the main story.
Important: never pad your text artificially. Readers notice filler immediately.
How to count the words in your manuscript
- Word: in the status bar at the bottom or via Review and then Word Count, where you also see the character count with and without spaces.
- Google Docs: via Tools and then Word count. You can also display the count permanently while writing.
- Scrivener: shows word counts for the whole project and individual chapters and lets you set daily targets.
Length in series
In a series readers expect some consistency. Later books can be a little longer or shorter, but a jump from 70,000 to 150,000 words surprises. In romance, series where each book focuses on a different couple and has a similar length have proven popular. In fantasy, books often grow with the world, which readers are more willing to accept.
A special case in self-publishing is the novella as an extra: a short story of 20,000 to 40,000 words that serves as a prequel, bonus or newsletter gift. It keeps readers engaged between two novels.
Length and pace
How long a book feels does not depend on word count alone. A novel with short chapters, lots of dialogue and quick scene changes reads faster than one with long descriptions and few paragraph breaks. Romance and thriller readers often prefer a fast pace. In fantasy, passages can be more detailed as long as they bring the world to life.
If beta readers say your book drags, it is not always the length but the pace. Sometimes splitting chapters, tightening descriptions and ending scenes earlier is enough.
Chapter length
There is no fixed rule for chapters either, but there are tendencies. In many current genre novels chapters run between 2,000 and 4,000 words. Shorter chapters raise the pace and tempt readers to keep going, because one more chapter is quick. Very long chapters of 8,000 words or more can be tiring. If you switch POVs, a new chapter for each switch makes sense.
Length at a glance
| Words | Paperback pages (approx.) |
|---|---|
| 40,000 | 130 to 160 |
| 70,000 | 220 to 280 |
| 90,000 | 280 to 360 |
| 120,000 | 380 to 480 |
The values vary with the share of dialogue, paragraph length, font and format.
Setting writing goals from length
Once you know roughly how long your novel should be, you can plan your project. An example: you are writing a dark romance with a planned 90,000 words and 30 chapters. That is about 3,000 words per chapter. At 600 words a day you write a chapter every five days and finish in about five months. Calculations like this make a big project tangible.
Planning length before you write
A rough target already helps when plotting. If you know your romance should be around 80,000 words, you can estimate how much room each act gets:
- Act 1: about 20,000 words for setup, meeting and the inciting incident
- Act 2: about 40,000 words for getting closer, obstacles, midpoint and low point
- Act 3: about 20,000 words for crisis, climax and happy ending
This split is not a rigid rule, but it helps you see when one part is getting out of hand. If your first act already has 35,000 words, check whether the story starts too late. More in Three-Act Structure.
Length in traditional and self-publishing
Publishers often have fixed ideas about how long a debut in a particular genre may be, because printing costs and cover price are linked. In self-publishing you are freer, but not completely independent. A very thick paperback is more expensive to print and has to cost more, which can put readers off. For ebooks printing does not matter, but readers still have expectations about price and length.
Another point in self-publishing: programmes that pay per page read reward a longer book differently from a shorter one. But that should never be a reason to pad a novel, because readers abandon padded books and leave bad reviews.
If you are not sure your book is the right length
Get outside feedback. Beta readers quickly notice where a book drags or where something is missing. An edit can also show you specifically which scenes to cut or expand, with an eye on the pace of your genre.
Cutting without pain
Cutting is hard, especially scenes you enjoyed writing. One trick helps: keep a separate file for cut passages. That way they are not lost, and you can use them later as bonus material for your newsletter or social media. Many authors publish deleted scenes or alternative perspectives as exclusive extras for their readers.
FAQ
How many words does an average novel have?
Most genre novels are between 70,000 and 100,000 words.
Is a 150,000-word debut too long?
In high fantasy it can just about work. In almost every other genre it is clearly too long and should be cut.
Do acknowledgements and appendices count?
Not for genre classification. For editing and printing costs they do, if they are edited or printed too.
How many pages does a typical paperback have?
Most paperback novels have between 250 and 450 pages. Fantasy can be considerably longer.
Can a novella sell in self-publishing?
Yes, especially as an ebook and within a series. As a standalone debut, a full-length novel is usually the better choice, because readers expect a certain length for the price.
How many words a day do writers write?
That varies a lot. Many authors write between 500 and 2,000 words a day. Consistency matters more than quantity.
Is a short novel easier to sell?
Not necessarily. What matters is that the length fits the genre. A fantasy novel that is too short feels thin, a romcom that is too long feels slow. Within the guidelines, quality is what counts.
Conclusion
A novel starts at around 50,000 words, and most genre novels are between 70,000 and 100,000. Romantasy and fantasy can be longer, romcoms and cosy crime shorter. But more important than any number is that every scene earns its place. How to Write a Book shows how to plan your book well from the start.
Keep reading
Not sure the length is right?
In an edit we also check pacing and show you where scenes should be tightened or expanded. Start with our sample edit: 20 pages for €99.
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