Fiction length categories
| Form | Words |
|---|---|
| Flash fiction | Under 1,000 |
| Short story | 1,000–7,500 |
| Novelette | 7,500–17,500 |
| Novella | 17,500–40,000 |
| Novel | 40,000 and above |
The novelette and novella ranges follow the long-standing conventions used by speculative-fiction awards; other bodies draw the lines slightly differently.
Typical novel length by genre
| Genre | Typical words |
|---|---|
| Literary and general fiction | 70,000–100,000 |
| Thriller and crime | 70,000–95,000 |
| Romance | 50,000–90,000 |
| Young adult | 50,000–80,000 |
| Middle grade | 25,000–55,000 |
| Science fiction and fantasy | 90,000–120,000 |
| Epic fantasy | 100,000–150,000 |
| Memoir and non-fiction | 60,000–90,000 |
Editors often accept a range around these figures but reject manuscripts far outside them because of printing costs and market expectations. A first novel above 120,000 words is a harder sell.
What that means in pages and hours
At 250 to 350 words per printed page, an 80,000-word novel runs about 230 to 320 pages; see How Many Words per Page?. As an audiobook at 155 words per minute it lasts about 8 hours 36 minutes; use Words to Audiobook Hours Converter to calculate. A reader at 238 words per minute finishes it in around 5 hours 36 minutes of reading.
Tracking a draft
Many novelists set a daily word target, such as 500 or 1,000 words, and track the running total. Paste each chapter into the Word Counter and add them up, or keep one document and count a selection. At 1,000 words a day, an 80,000-word first draft takes 80 days. Typing speed is rarely the limit; see Average Typing Speed.
Try it yourself
Put the numbers above to work with these free tools:
Frequently asked questions
How many words is a short novel?
About 40,000 to 60,000 words.
How many words is a typical novel?
70,000 to 100,000.
How many words is a novella?
17,500 to 40,000.
How many pages is 80,000 words?
About 230 to 320 printed pages.