Measure
Word count
You might say: length, how long is a novel
The length of the manuscript in words, the unit agents and publishers use. The expected length depends on the category.
- What it does
- Checks the book against what its market expects.
- Ask
- Is this length normal for my category?
- Typical
- Literary, mystery and thriller 80,000–89,999 words; SF and fantasy 100,000–115,000
- Trouble
- A 150,000-word debut thriller, or a 50,000-word epic fantasy.
Catalogue: Category norm
- Adult: literary, mystery, thriller: 80,000–89,999 words in Writer’s Digest’s guide.
- Science fiction and fantasy: 100,000–115,000 words in Writer’s Digest’s guide.
- Young adult: 55,000–79,999 words in Writer’s Digest’s guide.
- Middle grade: 20,000–55,000 words in Writer’s Digest’s guide.
Catalogue: Length class (SFWA)
- Short story: Under 7,500 words.
- Novelette: 7,500 to 17,499 words.
- Novella: 17,500 to 39,999 words.
- Novel: 40,000 words or more.
Sources
- Chuck Sambuchino, Word Count for Novels and Children’s Books (Writer’s Digest), recommended word-count table
Between 80,000 and 89,999 words is a good range you should be aiming for.
Use it on your project
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