Quick answer
- Flash fiction: under 1,000 words
- Short story: 1,000–7,500 words
- Novelette: 7,500–17,500 words
- Novella: 17,500–40,000 words
- Novel: 50,000–110,000+ words
Source: SFWA (Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America) award categories, widely adopted as the prose-fiction standard across publishing.
Word count is the first thing an agent, editor, or contest judge checks. It signals whether you understand the market before they've read a single sentence. This guide covers every fiction length category, genre-specific expectations, famous-novel word counts for calibration, and the structural decisions each length requires. Whether you're writing flash fiction for a literary magazine or a 120,000-word fantasy epic, you'll leave knowing exactly where your manuscript sits.
Fiction length reference
| Form | Word Count |
|---|---|
Drabble | Exactly 100 |
Microfiction | Under 300 |
Flash Fiction | Under 1,000 |
Short Story | 1,000–7,500 |
Novelette | 7,500–17,500 |
Novella | 17,500–40,000 |
Short Novel | 40,000–50,000 |
Novel | 50,000–110,000 |
Epic Novel | 110,000+ |
Page counts assume standard manuscript formatting: 12pt Times New Roman, 1-inch margins, double-spaced, roughly 250 words per page.
Novel word count by genre
Genre is the single biggest factor in expected novel length. A 120,000-word contemporary romance will get rejected on length alone; a 70,000-word epic fantasy will too. These ranges reflect what agents and editors currently acquire.
| Genre | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Middle Grade | 20,000–55,000 |
| Young Adult (YA) | 55,000–80,000 |
| Contemporary / Literary Fiction | 70,000–100,000 |
| Mystery / Thriller | 70,000–90,000 |
| Romance (category) | 50,000–70,000 |
| Romance (single title) | 80,000–100,000 |
| Science Fiction | 90,000–120,000 |
| Fantasy | 90,000–120,000 |
| Historical Fiction | 90,000–120,000 |
| Horror | 70,000–90,000 |
| Westerns | 60,000–80,000 |
| Memoir | 70,000–90,000 |
| Light Novel | 40,000–50,000 |
See our full novel word count by genre guide for a deeper breakdown.
Famous works by word count
Calibrate your own manuscript against books you know. Word counts below are from author manuscripts or published editions.
| Title | Words |
|---|---|
| Of Mice and Men | 29,160 |
| The Great Gatsby | 47,094 |
| The Catcher in the Rye | 73,404 |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | 100,388 |
| Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone | 76,944 |
| The Hobbit | 95,356 |
| The Fellowship of the Ring | 187,790 |
| A Game of Thrones | 298,000 |
| The Lottery | 3,384 |
| Hills Like White Elephants | 1,469 |
Story structure by length
Word count dictates how much structure you can sustain. A flash fiction piece can't carry a three-act arc; a 100,000-word novel can't rely on a single twist. Match your structural ambition to your length.
Flash fiction (<1,000)
Single scene, single image, twist or reveal.
Short story (1,000–7,500)
Clear inciting incident, one primary conflict, immediate resolution.
Novelette (7,500–17,500)
Two or three scenes, character growth, subplot optional.
Novella (17,500–40,000)
Full three-act structure, limited cast, tight subplot.
Novel (50,000–110,000)
Three or five-act structure, multiple POVs possible, B-plot and C-plot.
Epic novel (110,000+)
Multiple POVs expected, complex subplots, chapter arcs that mirror the main arc.
Traditional vs indie word count
Traditional publishers and agents enforce word-count ranges strictly. Being outside expected range is the fastest rejection trigger after typos. Always query within range, even if your manuscript later gets cut or expanded during edits.
Indie / self-publishingallows more flexibility, but reader expectations are similar. A $4.99 ebook reader expects 70,000–100,000 words. Amazon's Kindle Unlimited algorithm rewards longer works that keep readers in-app, pushing optimal KU length higher (90,000–150,000).
Short fiction marketshave hard word-count caps. Most SFF magazines cap submissions at 7,500 or 10,000 words. Literary journals range from 1,000 to 5,000. Contest rules almost always enforce exact limits — one word over and your entry is disqualified.
Tips for writers
- •Target the lower end for debuts. Editors prefer tight prose. A 75,000-word novel is easier to sell than a 120,000-word one.
- •Research recent titles in your genre. Open Amazon, filter by release date, pick the top 20 books, and check their page counts (roughly 250× pages = words).
- •Edit to need, not to target. Length should follow story needs. Don't pad a 60,000-word story to reach 80,000 — revise structure instead.
- •Know contest rules. Flash fiction contests often cap at 500 or 1,000 words exactly. One word over and you're out.
- •Use manuscript format for queries. Agent word counts reflect double-spaced 12pt Times New Roman with 1-inch margins. Microsoft Word's count is the industry reference.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a short story?
Typically 1,000–7,500 words. Some publications accept up to 10,000, while others prefer under 5,000. Always check submission guidelines.
How many words is in a short story on average?
The average published short story runs 3,000–5,000 words. Literary magazine averages trend lower; genre magazine averages trend higher.
What's the difference between a novelette and novella?
A novelette runs 7,500–17,500 words; a novella is 17,500–40,000. Both terms come from SFWA award categories, now used across all genres.
How many words is a novella?
17,500–40,000 words. Famous novellas: Of Mice and Men (29,160), Animal Farm (29,966), A Christmas Carol (28,944).
How many words should my first novel be?
Aim for 70,000–90,000 words in most genres. Exceptions: fantasy (up to 100,000) and category romance (50,000–70,000).
How many words is flash fiction?
Under 1,000 words. Subcategories: drabble (100 words exactly), microfiction (under 300), sudden fiction (under 750).
How many words in a light novel?
Typically 40,000–50,000 words per volume. Light novels follow Japanese serialised publishing conventions, so most series run many volumes.
What's the word count for a romance novel?
Category romance: 50,000–70,000. Single-title contemporary or historical romance: 80,000–100,000.
How many words does a novel have on average?
The median traditionally-published novel is around 85,000 words. Literary fiction skews slightly higher; commercial fiction slightly lower.
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