Guide A1
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The complete genre guide to word counts, chapter ranges, and structure expectations. Includes practical advice on setting a target that is right for your story.
Introduction
Before you write a single word, you want to know: how long should this thing be? It is a perfectly sensible question. Word count shapes your timeline, your structure, your pacing, and your chances of being taken seriously by agents and publishers. Getting it roughly right from the start makes everything else easier. This guide sets out the typical novel word count for each genre, and how to choose the right target for yours.
The honest answer is that there is no single correct length for any book. But there are well-established ranges that reflect what readers expect, what publishers accept, and what the structure of each genre tends to demand. This guide covers every major genre and format in plain terms, and ends with practical advice on setting a target that works for your story.
My first book is one of a trilogy. By the time I realised how hard it would be to complete even the first book, let alone the other two, it was too late to change tack. I tried to escape by starting something simpler, a short story about a young lad named Barnabas Horace Leopold Crump who wanted to be bad but was spectacularly useless at it. It didn't work for Barnabas or me. The trilogy kept pulling me back and poor Barnabas never got his chance. The story had to be told and I had no choice but to go through with it. Don't make the same mistake. My sincere advice to any new writer: don't start with a trilogy. One book. One target. Everything else can wait.
A note on first drafts: the word count targets in this guide are for finished manuscripts, not first drafts. First drafts are often 10 to 20% longer. Write freely. Cut later. Do not let a word count target slow down a first draft that isn't finished yet.
Fiction
The ranges below reflect what literary agents and publishers expect to see. Stray significantly outside them as a debut author and you create an unnecessary obstacle before anyone has read a word.
Genre
Typical Range / Notes
Literary Fiction
70,000–110,000 words. Character-driven. Longer is acceptable if the prose genuinely justifies it.
Commercial / General Fiction
80,000–100,000 words. The sweet spot. Agents rarely question books in this range.
Thriller / Crime
70,000–90,000 words. Pace matters above all. Shorter is fine if the tension never drops.
Mystery
70,000–90,000 words. Reader expectation is for a brisk, satisfying puzzle.
Fantasy (standalone)
90,000–120,000 words. World-building earns the extra words.
Epic / High Fantasy
100,000–150,000 words. Series books can run longer.
Science Fiction
90,000–120,000 words. Concept density can justify length.
Romance
70,000–90,000 words. Category romance runs 50,000–75,000.
Historical Fiction
80,000–110,000 words. Research-heavy setting earns the extra words.
Horror
70,000–100,000 words. Dread needs space to build, but pacing must stay tight.
YA has become one of the most commercially active categories in publishing. The word count expectations are lower than adult fiction, but the storytelling standards are just as high.
Genre
Typical Range / Notes
YA Contemporary
50,000–80,000 words. Voice and pace are everything.
YA Fantasy / Sci-Fi
70,000–100,000 words. World-building adds words, but readers want momentum.
YA Thriller
50,000–80,000 words. Tight. Fast. No dead chapters.
YA Romance
50,000–80,000 words. Emotional intensity counts for more than length.
Middle Grade
20,000–50,000 words. Ages 8–12. Chapters shorter, sentences tighter.
Format
Word Count / Notes
Picture Books (ages 3–5)
300–800 words. Illustration carries the story.
Early Readers (ages 5–8)
200–3,500 words. Simple sentences, short chapters.
Chapter Books (ages 6–10)
4,000–10,000 words. The first books children read independently.
Non-Fiction
Non-fiction word counts are more flexible than fiction, because the subject matter genuinely dictates length. The most common mistake non-fiction writers make is writing too long. More words do not mean more value.
Genre
Typical Range / Notes
Business / Leadership
40,000–70,000 words. Readers want actionable insight, not padding.
Self-Help
40,000–70,000 words. Clear framework, examples, application.
Health / Wellness
40,000–70,000 words. Readers want evidence, explained clearly.
History / Biography
70,000–100,000 words. Narrative non-fiction can carry significant length.
Memoir
60,000–90,000 words. A beginning, middle, and transformation. No more.
True Crime
70,000–90,000 words. Pace it like a thriller.
Popular Science
70,000–100,000 words. Concept depth earns extra words.
Travel / Narrative
60,000–80,000 words. One journey, one arc.
The reader test: at every chapter, ask yourself: is the reader getting something new here? If the answer is no, that chapter is padding. Cut it.
Structure
Word count targets tell you how long the book should be. Chapter length tells you how to pace it.
Genre
AVG Chapter Length
Implied chapters (at target)
Thriller / Crime
2,500–3,500 words
27–40 chapters at 80k
Commercial Fiction
2,500–3,500 words
23–32 chapters at 80k
Fantasy / Sci-Fi
3,500–5,000 words
20–30 chapters at 100k
Romance
2,000–3,500 words
23–40 chapters at 80k
Non-Fiction
2,000–4,000 words
Structure-led: one chapter, one concept
YA
1,500–2,500 words
Shorter chapters keep young readers engaged
I spent months agonising over chapter length. The chapters especially in act three reached up to 7,000 words in length. As I reviewed I was able to find natural breaks in my overlong chapters and adjusted the story beats to smooth the additional chapter transitions. In the end my chapters varied from 1,500 to 5,000 words depending on what the story needed. Most chapters were in the range of 2,000 to 2,500 words, 5,000 was the exception. I increased the chapter number from 35 to 48 in the end. For books two and three, I won't pay too much attention to chapter lengths during the first draft. Getting the story written will always come first from now on.
The table above is guidance, not a contract. Write the chapter until it's done, then look at the number.
1
Start in the middle of the range
If your genre runs 80,000 to 100,000 words, target 90,000. Room to cut in editing without falling short, and room to expand without going over.
2
Underwriting is easier to fix than overwriting
A 70,000-word draft that needs fleshing out is a manageable editing task. A 130,000-word draft that needs cutting by a third is a different problem entirely.
3
Genre expectations exist for a reason
Mystery readers expect a satisfying puzzle resolved in 70,000 to 90,000 words. Defying those expectations requires a very good reason.
4
Your first book is not the place to break the rules
Submitting a 160,000-word debut fantasy is harder than submitting a 110,000-word one. Prove you can tell a complete story at conventional length first.
5
A target is not a cage
Set a target and write toward it. If the story demands more, give it more. Treat it like a compass, not a word counter ticking down.
I had no specific target, just a concept and a rough idea of how long my book should be. I thought if I could write something every day, even just two hours, that would get me to the end eventually. This hampered my progress. I should have set a target and stuck to it. I would have finished the first draft in eight months, not eighteen. Learn from my mistake. One book. Set your target. Finish it. Then decide what comes next.
What to do next
Where you are: Starting out, guide 3 of 9
1. Do this now
Pick the middle of your genre's range and put it into WordPlan Instant. Four questions, about a minute, and you'll see your weekly target and finish date. Carry on into WordPlan Builder and we'll email you the full plan, plus a Library Ticket for the Ticket guides.
2. Read next
A4: Plotters, Pantsers, and How to Find Your Method (Ticket). Next on your path. You've got a target; this decides how you'll get there, whether you plan every chapter or find the story as you go.
B1: Story Structure: Which One Is Right for Your Book? (Open). Turns your word count into a shape: where the turning points fall in 90,000 words.
A6: Writing Non-Fiction: How the Rules Change (Ticket). Writing non-fiction? Read this before A4. Proposals, chapter outlines and structure work differently.
3. Not sure?
No story idea yet? A3: Your Story Idea
Got the idea but can't make yourself start? A2: Why You Haven't Started Yet
Already writing and finding time is the problem? B2: Build a Writing Schedule
Want to see everything in order? The five reading paths
← Previous on this path: A3: Your Story Idea
Next on this path: A4: Plotters & Pantsers →