How Many Words In A Novel? A Guide by Genres With Examples

Many authors measure their writing progress by the number of words they write. The popular annual event NaNoWriMo, for example, challenges participants to write a 50,000-word novel. But can it be considered a novel if it is only 50,000 words? How many words should a novel have?

The average word count for a standard novel is around 90,000 words, but this can vary across genres. Most novels fall within the range of 70,000 to 100,000 words, but there are longer and shorter ones as well.

Although the classification of a fictional story should be done according to its plot, structure, and literary resources, there are different classifications to organize stories based on their length.

General Fiction Word Counts

1. Micro Fiction: This genre consists of stories that are up to 300 words, typically fewer than 100. An example of micro-fiction is the famous “When he awoke, the dinosaur was still there,” by Augusto Monterroso. This line is considered one of the shortest narrative texts in the history of literature.

2. Flash Fiction: Between 300 and 1,000 words. An example would be the text Where Are You? by Joyce Carol Oates, with 524 words. 

3. Short Story: These are texts between 1,000 and 10,000 words. An example is The Black Cat, by Edgar Allan Poe, with 3,856 words.

4. Short Novel: Within this category, there is a subdivision between novelettes (up to 20,0000 words) and novellas (between 20,000 and 70,000), but I prefer to include them all within the same genre, which is the short novel, because the only difference among them is the number of words, while they do have the form in common: They are already novels because they allow a more relevant development and an evolution of the character arc, but without becoming as complex as a standard novel, since there is no room for subplots nor a large number of characters.

Examples of short novels are The Old Man and the Sea by Hemingway, The Metamorphosis by Kafka, and Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote.

5. Novel: Over 70,000 words, and they are most of the novels we know. There is no maximum number of words for this category, although it is usual that they do not exceed 150,000 or 200,000 words. Although there are exceptions, such as The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt, with 296,582 words.

Other examples:

• The Crossing by Michael Connelly — 80,376 words
• Room by Emma Donoghue — 91,281 words
• Life of Pi, by Yhann Martel — 98,783 words
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee — 99,121 words
• Atonement by Ian McEwan — 123,378 words

As an anecdote, In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust is considered the longest novel in the world, with 1,267,069 words.

Novel Word Counts by Genre

Now that we have analyzed the general classification of literary works according to their length and we know when we can begin calling them novels, let’s look a little closer to see how the length of a novel changes depending on the genre to which it belongs or the age of the target readers.

Again, these are just industry standards. But this does not mean that you have to adhere to these standards. Perhaps, if you want to publish your book traditionally, it will be easier to fit into a publishing house’s project if you stay within the norm, but not at the cost of sacrificing your book. If you think your story needs a longer or shorter length, go for it. In fact, in some of the examples, you will see that these standards do not always apply.

How Many Words Are in a Young Adult Novel?

Young adult novels are typically much shorter than novels for the general public, often falling within the length of a novella. The most common thing is that they stay between 50,000 and 80,000 words.

• The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger — 70,544 words
• Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell — 78,179 words
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins — 99,750 words

Of course, this rule depends a lot on the subgenre of the novel, as well as the specific age of the target audience. Youth Adult targets individuals aged 13 to 18, which is too broad.

An actual way to observe the relationship between the length of novels and the age of the target readers is by analyzing the first five novels of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling. The series is designed for young adults to grow up with the books. As a result, the first book in the series is aimed at a much younger audience, around 11 or 12 years old, and is noticeably shorter. However, the fourth book, geared towards a somewhat older audience, is longer, reflecting the readers’ readiness for longer novels.

In the list below, you will see how this evolution of the target reader works in the word count of each book in the series:

• Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone — 76,944 words
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets — 85,141 words
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban — 107,253 words
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire — 190,637 words
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix — 257,045 words

How Many Words Are in Genre Romance?

Although there are some shorter books within this genre, the usual thing is to find them with an extension between 75,000 and 120,000 words.

• The Choice by Nicholas Sparks — 79,950 words
• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green — 65,752 words
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman — 89,426 words
• Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles — 92,377 words
• Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen — 119,394 words

How Many Words Are in Thrillers, Horror, Mysteries and Crime Novels?

The most common thing is to find novels of between 70,000 and 100,000 words in these widely read genres, but, as always, there are exceptions. Let’s look at some examples:

• Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane — 81,666 words
• Tell No One by Harlan Coben — 83,732 Words
• Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell — 98,130 words
• The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins — 101,704 words
• Misery by Stephen King — 110,565 words
• The Firm, by John Grisham — 135,293 words
• The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown — 138,952 words
• The Shining by Stephen King — 148,603 words

How Many Words Are in Historical Fiction Novels?

Historical fiction is a complex genre because not all works within this category are similar. For instance, Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander can be considered a romance novel, but it also incorporates fantasy elements and is set in a different historical era. On the other hand, The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett is a different type of novel.

So here we will talk exclusively about the most conventional historical fiction, which has an average word count of between 75,000 and 100,000, although this can vary. There are books in this genre with 180,000 words or more. Here are some examples:

• Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier — 69,667
• The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne — 66,976
• The King’s Witches by Kate Foster — 90,896 words
• Sparrow by James Hynes — 117,806 words
• The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton — 119,600 words
• The Physician By Noah Gordon — 213,486 words
• The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett — 291,824 words

How Many Words Are in Science Fiction and Fantasy Novels?

Fantasy and science fiction novels have a reputation for being the longest, since the average ranges between 90,000 and 200,000 words. Now we will see some examples:

• Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein — 84,769 words
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro — 96,374 words
• Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card — 100,609 words
• The Martian by Andy Weir — 104,588 words
• Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton — 117,645 words
• Dune by Frank Herbert — 181,493 words
• The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien — 187,790 words
• Elantris by Brandon Sanderson — 205,464 words
• The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien — 245,233 words
• A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin — 292,727 words
• A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin — 414,788 words

How Many Words in Your Novel?

As you have seen in the average standard word count and the examples, the number of words can vary so much that it may be hard to know how many words your novel should have, right?

If this is your case, don’t worry. There are other considerations besides genre to know how long your novel should be:

The Plots and Subplots

When you build a story, you have to be clear about the objective you are pursuing. What do you want to transmit? The answer will lead you to create a series of plots and subplots that help you develop the theme.

Some novels require only one or two plots, while others need several plots and subplots to fully convey the story’s complexity. If your novel needs many plots and subplots, it will also need a longer length. Keep in mind that every plot needs its structure and its development arc.

The Scenes

Just as you need a specific number of plots and subplots to develop that particular novel, you will also need several scenes for the story to make sense.

Having a general idea of the number of scenes you will need will help you determine the final length of your novel. It will also allow you to see if you need it to be longer or shorter in case you want to get closer to the standard average, and it is possible to do so without compromising the story.

Your Own Pace

Each writer has their style and rhythm. Some writers prefer to write shorter chapters with a dynamic narrative and minimal descriptions, while others opt for the opposite approach. As a writer, you should try to know your way of writing.  What type of narrative do you prefer? What is your natural writing rhythm? How many words do you typically use to write a scene?

You can also look at writers and novels whose style you like or is similar to yours. The length of their works will give you a clue as to what you would like yours to be and allow you to plan your novel accordingly.