Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Genre Factor: Word Counts by Category
- Debut vs. Established Authors: Playing by Different Rules
- The Hidden Power of Word Count: Economics and Marketing
- Exceptions, Outliers, and Why Rules Are Made to Be Broken
- Writing for Digital Platforms: Does Word Count Still Matter?
- How to Know When You’re Done
- The Final Verdict: It Depends (But Here’s a Cheat Sheet)
- Conclusion
Introduction
One of the first questions that haunts every aspiring author is: How many words should a book be?
It’s a perfectly reasonable question, but like most things in publishing, the answer is not simple. There’s no magical number that fits all books, and anyone claiming otherwise is either oversimplifying or trying to sell you a template.
Books are as varied as their readers. The ideal word count depends on several factors, including genre, target audience, market trends, and even the author’s goals. A cozy mystery will rarely be as long as a sweeping fantasy epic, and a business how-to book is unlikely to compete with a sprawling historical saga.
So, before you start deleting paragraphs or padding chapters, let’s unpack this properly. How many words should a book really be? Well, that depends.
The Genre Factor: Word Counts by Category
One of the biggest drivers of word count expectations is genre. Publishing is, at its core, a market-driven industry. Readers have unspoken expectations about the length of a book in a given category. Fall too far outside those boundaries, and you risk alienating your audience, or worse, never getting published at all.
Fiction: A Genre-by-Genre Breakdown
Let’s start with fiction, where word count is often a hot topic.
Literary Fiction:
Typically, literary fiction ranges from 60,000 to 110,000 words. Many debut novels sit comfortably in the 80,000 to 100,000-word range. This genre allows more flexibility because strict market formulas do not necessarily drive it. But yes, even here, there are limits. Publishers rarely embrace debut novels that are longer than 120,000 words unless you’re a literary superstar. Long literary fiction examples include Toni Morrison’s Beloved (120,000 words) and Herman Melville‘s Moby-Dick (over 200,000 words).
Mystery/Thriller:
Mysteries and thrillers generally fall between 70,000 and 90,000 words. Readers expect fast-paced, tightly plotted narratives, and overly long mysteries tend to drag. A lean, mean 75,000-word thriller can often outshine a bloated 120,000-word one. Stephen King’s Carrie is estimated to be around 74,000 words.
Fantasy/Sci-Fi:
Here’s where word counts tend to balloon. Fantasy and science fiction often demand extra pages for world-building and complex plots. Debut fantasy novels often range between 70,000 and 120,000 words. Epic fantasy can stretch beyond that, sometimes hitting 150,000 words or more, but only if you’re really skilled or already established. Harry Potter’s first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, contains about 76,000 words but the final title, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, has close to 200,000 words.
Romance:
Romance novels are generally shorter, with most falling between 50,000 and 90,000 words. Subgenres like historical romance may run longer, but many publishers in this category prefer tight, engaging stories that don’t overstay their welcome.
Young Adult (YA) Fiction:
YA novels usually land between 50,000 and 85,000 words, depending on the subgenre. Fantasy YA tends to be on the higher end, while contemporary or romance YA might be shorter.
Middle Grade:
Middle-grade fiction, aimed at readers between the ages of 8 and 12, typically falls between 20,000 and 55,000 words. Fantasy middle-grade novels may creep toward the higher end, but anything much longer can intimidate younger readers (and their parents).
Nonfiction: A Different Set of Rules
Nonfiction is a whole different ballgame. Word counts here vary based on subject matter, audience, and even the author’s platform.
Memoir:
Memoirs generally run between 70,000 and 100,000 words. If your life story can’t be told in fewer than 150,000 words, you may need to ask yourself which parts could be better suited for therapy rather than readers.
Self-Help/Business:
Most self-help and business books range in length from 50,000 to 80,000 words. Publishers like these books to be digestible, actionable, and easy to market. A 300,000-word business book might be comprehensive, but it’s unlikely to fly off the shelves.
History/Biography:
These can stretch longer. A well-researched history or biography often falls between 80,000 and 150,000 words. Books about major historical figures or events can exceed 200,000 words, though these are often niche publications.
Science/Technology:
Popular science books typically range from 70,000 to 110,000 words. The goal is to strike a balance between in-depth analysis and accessible prose.
Debut vs. Established Authors: Playing by Different Rules
Word counts are more flexible for established authors. If you’re a household name, publishers will forgive a bloated manuscript because your name alone can move copies. However, debut authors rarely enjoy such leniency.
Agents and editors tend to be cautious with first-time writers. They prefer books that fit squarely within established norms because these are easier to market and print. It’s not about stifling creativity but rather minimizing financial risk.
If you’re writing your first book, it’s wise to stick to traditional word count ranges unless you have a compelling reason (and the skills) to break the rules.
The Hidden Power of Word Count: Economics and Marketing
Word count is not just an artistic decision. It has real-world implications for production and profitability.
Printing Costs
Longer books cost more to produce. Each additional page increases the printing cost, which affects the price point and the publisher’s profit margin. This is especially significant for physical books. A 150,000-word fantasy novel will cost more to print than a sleek 80,000-word thriller. Publishers weigh these costs carefully before greenlighting a manuscript.
Pricing and Sales
Books have price ceilings in every category. Readers expect certain prices for certain genres. If a book’s production costs are too high, it may be priced out of its market segment.
For example, romance readers generally balk at paying more than $15 for a paperback, no matter how long the book is. In contrast, readers of epic fantasy or history may be willing to pay $25 or more for hefty tomes.
Audiobooks and Ebooks
The digital revolution has eased some of these constraints. Ebooks and audiobooks don’t have physical printing costs, which means longer books don’t necessarily cost more to produce. However, longer audiobooks take more time (and money) to record, edit, and produce.
Still, many self-published authors are happy to stretch their word counts when releasing ebooks, particularly in genres like fantasy and romance, where readers love sprawling stories.
Exceptions, Outliers, and Why Rules Are Made to Be Broken
For every “rule” about word count, there are famous exceptions.
Take The Catcher in the Rye, which clocks in at around 73,000 words, a relatively short novel that has achieved classic status. On the other hand, Les Misérables spans over 500,000 words, yet it remains widely read (albeit often abridged).
Modern publishing also has its share of outliers. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, which spans around 720 pages, became a bestseller despite its considerable length. Readers still devoured it, even as some critics bemoaned its excesses.
These cases remind us that word count is a guideline, not a commandment. A great story, powerfully told, can transcend market formulas.
Writing for Digital Platforms: Does Word Count Still Matter?
In the age of digital-first publishing platforms like Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) and Substack, word count expectations have undergone a shift.
Many indie authors happily write books that fall outside traditional word count ranges. For example, short romance novellas—sometimes just 30,000 words—can do incredibly well in digital stores, where low prices and fast reads are appealing.
Serial platforms like Wattpad, Radish, and Ream also encourage episodic storytelling, where books are released in chunks over time. In these cases, cumulative word count matters less than the hook and pace of each installment.
That said, even in the digital realm, readers have preferences. Too short, and they feel cheated. Too long, and they may not finish. Digital authors often aim for 50,000 to 100,000 words per book, depending on genre.
How to Know When You’re Done
Perhaps the more important question isn’t how many words your book should have, but how many words it needs.
Word count targets can be useful benchmarks, but they shouldn’t dictate your creative process. Instead of writing to hit a number, focus on telling the story fully and effectively.
When editing, ask yourself:
- Does every scene serve a purpose?
- Are you repeating information unnecessarily?
- Have you skimmed past important developments?
The best books aren’t always the longest, but they do feel complete. Readers instinctively know when a story has been cut too short or stretched too thin.
The Final Verdict: It Depends (But Here’s a Cheat Sheet)
Still feeling anxious about the numbers? Here’s a quick cheat sheet to keep you grounded:
| Genre | Typical Word Count |
|---|---|
| Literary Fiction | 60,000 to 110,000 |
| Mystery/Thriller | 70,000 to 90,000 |
| Fantasy/Sci-Fi | 90,000 to 150,000 |
| Romance | 50,000 to 90,000 |
| Young Adult (YA) Fiction | 50,000 to 85,000 |
| Middle Grade | 20,000 to 55,000 |
| Memoir | 70,000 to 100,000 |
| Self-Help/Business | 50,000 to 80,000 |
| History/Biography | 80,000 to 150,000 |
| Science/Technology | 70,000 to 110,000 |
Remember, these are guidelines, not ironclad rules. Your book’s ideal word count depends on your story, your goals, and your readers.
Conclusion
How many words should a book be? The honest answer is, it depends on the genre, your audience, your publishing method, and what your story demands. Fixating on word count too early in the process can stifle your creativity. Focus first on writing the best possible version of your book. You can always trim or expand later during revisions.
That said, knowing the typical word count for your genre is more than just industry trivia. It’s a helpful checkpoint that can guide you toward writing a book that meets readers’ expectations and has a better chance of success in the marketplace.
In the end, it’s not about hitting a magic number. It’s about crafting something that readers can lose themselves in, whether it’s 50,000 words or 150,000.