Average Novel Word Count
Knowing the expected word count for your genre helps you set realistic goals and gives agents and publishers confidence that you understand the market.
Overall averages
The average novel is 70,000 to 90,000 words. This is the range most literary agents expect for a debut novel in commercial or literary fiction. Going significantly under or over this range can make it harder to sell a first book.
Word counts by genre
- Flash fiction: Under 1,000 words
- Short story: 1,000-7,500 words
- Novella: 17,500-40,000 words
- Romance: 50,000-90,000 words
- Mystery/Thriller: 70,000-90,000 words
- Literary fiction: 70,000-100,000 words
- Historical fiction: 80,000-120,000 words
- Science fiction: 80,000-120,000 words
- Fantasy: 90,000-150,000 words (epic fantasy can exceed 200,000)
- Young Adult: 50,000-80,000 words
- Middle Grade: 25,000-50,000 words
- Memoir: 70,000-90,000 words
Why word count matters
Word count is not a vanity metric. It directly affects:
- Printing costs: More words mean more pages mean higher production costs
- Reader expectations: A 40,000-word "novel" will feel thin to someone who paid full price
- Pacing: Too many words often means the story drags; too few means it feels rushed
- Querying agents: Most agents have a word count range in their submission guidelines
Famous novels and their word counts
- The Great Gatsby — 47,094 words
- To Kill a Mockingbird — 100,388 words
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone — 77,325 words
- The Hobbit — 95,356 words
- 1984 — 88,942 words
- War and Peace — 587,287 words
Setting your target
Pick a target based on your genre and stick with it. If you are writing a thriller, aim for 80,000 words. If you are writing epic fantasy, 100,000-120,000 is reasonable for a first book. You can always cut or add during revision.
BookBeast lets you set your total word goal and tracks your daily progress toward it. You always know exactly how far you have come and how far you have left to go.