Normal Word Counts by Book Genre
When writing a book, one of the key factors to consider is the length of your manuscript. The average word count for a book can vary greatly depending on the genre, but there are general ranges that can be helpful for authors to keep in mind. Here is a guide to the average word count by book genre:
- Romance: 80,000 - 100,000 words
- Mystery/Thriller: 80,000 - 100,000 words
- Fantasy/Science Fiction: 100,000 - 120,000 words
- Horror: 80,000 - 100,000 words
- Historical Fiction: 80,000 - 120,000 words
- Young Adult: 60,000 - 80,000 words
- Middle Grade: 30,000 - 50,000 words
- Picture Books: 500 - 1,000 words
- Non-Fiction: 80,000 - 100,000 words
It is important to note that these ranges are just averages and there is no strict rule that books must fall within these word counts. Some books may be shorter or longer and still be successful, but these ranges can serve as a guide for authors who are unsure of the expected length for their book genre.
For example, if an author is writing a Young Adult novel, they may aim for a word count of around 70,000 words, but there is no hard and fast rule. Similarly, a Fantasy/Science Fiction book may be as short as 90,000 words or as long as 140,000 words, depending on the story.
In conclusion, while there are average word counts for book genres, these are only guidelines and not strict rules. It's important for authors to write the story that they want to write, without worrying about hitting an exact word count. Ultimately, the success of a book is determined by its content, not its length.
