top of page

Genre, Word Count, Audience

Audience recommended word count.

Lower Middle Grade 22,000 - 55,000 words

Upper Middle Grade 40,000 - 55,000 words

Young Adult 55,000 - 79,999 words

Most adult fiction is safe around 80,000 words

Fiction type & recommended word count.

Flash Fiction less than 1,500 words

Short Story 1,500 - 7,500

Novelette 7,500 - 17,499 words

Novella 17,500 - 49,999 words

Novels 50,000 - 110,000+ words

 

Genre recommended word count.

Westerns 50,000 - 80,000 words

Cozy Mysteries 55,000 - 70,000 words 

Romance 55,000 - 75,000 words

Mystery and Crime fiction 55,000 - 100,000 words

Chick Lit 60,000 - 75,000 words

Literary Fiction 65,000 - 100,000 words

Urban Fantasy 70,000 - 90,000 words

Women's Fiction 70,000 - 100,000 words

Sci-Fi 75,000 - 100,000 words

Memoir 80,000 - 89,999 words

Historical Fiction 90,000 - 110,000+ words

Fantasy 90,000 - 115,000 words

bottom of page