How Long Should A Book Be? An Author’s Guide to Word Count

The ideal book length, while largely dictated by your genre and whether you plan on self-publishing or traditionally publishing, should be between 70,000 and 100,000 words.

Industry standards for debut novels range between 80,000 and 100,000 words, with memoirs and biographies in the 70,000-90,000 word range, and fantasy books coming in at 90,000-120,000 words. Most non-fiction books vary, but a typical word count of 60,000 to 80,000 words is common.

To answer your question, ‘How long should a book be?’ As long as it takes for you to tell your story. The story should ultimately dictate the word count. Let the story flow naturally from the beginning to the conclusion rather than trying to extend or shorten the word length to hit a word count goal.

In his memoir, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, author Stephen King said that 180,000 words were a “goodish length for a book — something in which the reader can get happily lost, if the tale is done well and stays fresh.”

Now, we’re definitely not all at Stephen King’s level of experience or skill, but it’s something new authors can strive for. Write enough to allow your readers to get lost in your story.

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Why Word Count Is Important

If you’re self-publishing your book, word count won’t be a mitigating factor that prevents you from publishing. However, if you’re looking for a traditional publishing deal with a major publisher, books with word counts under 80,000 would be considered short. Books with a word count of over 200,000 would be considered long.

For authors seeking a traditional publishing deal, word count is a red flag. Too short, and the storyline and character development will appear underdeveloped. Too long, and the pacing could be overly slow, with too little action.

For self-published authors with high word counts, remember, print-on-demand (POD) self-publishing sites like Amazon KDP and IngramSpark Publishing do have page limits. For Amazon KDP, using trim sizes between 5 x 8 and 6 x 9, the maximum page count for a black-and-white book is 812.

Genre Specific Industry Standard Word Counts

While your word count should be as long as needed to tell your story, there are industry standards that authors can’t afford to ignore.

Readers of specific genres have expectations about the length of a book. While not set in stone, you should keep these guidelines in mind when considering how long your book should be.

It pays to research the industry standard for your genre when you’re planning your book outline and word length goals. A little over or under the industry-standard word length won’t hurt, but going far under or over could be a red flag.

Traditional publishers typically dictate that shorter novels are easier to market, while longer novels cost more to print.

For self-published authors with greater freedom, keeping your word count in mind remains a priority. It doesn’t need to be a limiting factor but something to pay attention to when you’re outlining your story. If you’re struggling, a professional editor will be able to step in and help guide you on specific areas of your manuscript.

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Industry Standard Word Counts by Genre

In the table below are what many experts consider the industry standard word counts by genre:

• Thriller Books – Great suspense stories need to maintain a fast pace and plot to keep readers completely engaged and unable to put the book down. The perfect word count is between 70,000 and 90,000 words.
• Science Fiction and Fantasy Books – There’s a lot of world-building in fantasy and sci-fi books, which leads to a higher word count. On average, books in this genre range from 90,000 to 120,000 words.
• Romance Books – Not all romance books are long, and not all romance books are short. Contemporary romance novels range between 50,000 and 70,000 words. While more traditional romance books can be up to 100,000 words.
• Historical Fiction Books – Covering historical topics in this genre often requires a lot of world-building, and average word counts in this genre are around the 100,000-word range.
• Non-Fiction Books – Non-fiction books are hard to specify word counts for because topics vary widely across subgenres. For example, memoirs can be 80,000-90,000 words, but journals can be both shorter and longer.
• Novella Books – If you are writing a novella, you want to aim for a word count between 10,000 and 40,000 words.
• Young Adult (YA) Books – Young adult (YA) books typically range from 40,000 to 80,000 words.
• Middle Grade (Readers) Books – Middle-grade fiction books are for kids aged 8-13 and generally have a word count of 20,000-50,000 words. If your book is aimed at the younger end of the scale, aim for a shorter word count.
• Children’s Chapter Books – are targeted toward children aged 7-10 who are just starting to read chapter books. You want to aim for a word count between 5,000 and 10,000 words.
• Children’s Illustrated Books – Anywhere from 500 to 1,000 words. It’s essential that children’s book authors allow their illustrations to do some of the work and don’t over-explain every scene.

How Long Should A Book Be? An Author’s Guide to Word Count | Conclusion

Remember, the word counts above are intended as a general guide, not a rule. Allow yourself enough leeway to do your story justice. Don’t cut essential parts of your book to limit your word count, and don’t pad your story to reach a higher word count.

If you’re looking for professional advice and guidance on your book, a manuscript evaluation is a great place to start. You’ll receive professional editing advice on your story, as well as practical suggestions and advice that you can implement.

If you are writing a book and need any assistance with paperback or ebook formatting, cover design, professional editing, uploading to self-publishing sites such as Amazon KDP and IngramSpark Publishing, or Amazon KDP keyword and category research, please don’t hesitate to contact us. We also offer children’s book illustrations and formatting services.

Chrissy Hobbs is the owner and founder of Indie Publishing Group, a self-publishing services provider based in Ontario, Canada, which helps authors self-publish their books on Amazon KDP, IngramSpark Publishing and other self-publishing platforms. With over a decade of experience in the publishing industry and a best-selling children’s book author of The Day My Fart Followed Me to Hockey and Hockey Wars, you know your book is in good hands.