Literary / Commercial / Women’s: 80,000 to 110,000
– These genres vary greatly in how their
stories are told, but not in how many words are used to tell them. There are
few exceptions of published debut novels not falling between these strict
markers. The adherence to this is never more tested than when a writer pushes the
limit to the full 110k or beyond. The upper marker is still accepted but will
almost certainly be cut by an editor should the writer secure a deal. A
literary agent will always look more favourable on these genre submissions
being around the 100k mark.
Crime Fiction: 90,000 to 100,000 – The page-turning
demands and competitive market enforce a word count which it is advisable to
comply to.
Mysteries / Thrillers / Suspense: 70,000 to 90,000
– The variation covers Cozy Mysteries which can clock
in at just 70-75k, to noir and historical which are often published at 80-90k.
Romance: 40,000 to 100,000 – Since it has many
sub-genres this genre can vary greatly depending on the story. Regency Romance,
Inspirational Romance, Romantic Suspense and Paranormal Romance all have a
minimum of 40k. But for mainstream romance novels the parameters are between
70K and 100K.
Fantasy: 90,000 to 100,000 – One of the few
genres with some leeway in first approach submissions, since many literary
agents know publishers who will happily accept 120K. This is not to say one
should aim for that higher count. But if a writer queries with 110k it will not
be rejected on word count alone.
Paranormal: 75,000 to 95,000 – Although commonly
entwined with other genres, standalone fiction in this genre is best
when it is concise. Literary agents and publishers will allow flexibility when
the story merits it, but for debut manuscripts it is best to refrain from
anything above the industry standard.
Horror: 80,000 to 100,000 – A writer must
be as ruthless with their words, as their antagonist is with the lives within
the story. For if a grip on the reader is lost by overly long descriptions and
digressions, the very tension which drives this genre fizzles out. Never go
beyond the 100k limit without first checking with a freelance editor for
revisions.
Science-Fiction: 90,000 to 125,000 – Encompassing many
sub-genres results in a flexibility across the genre that is not often given to
the others. Many publishers will accept works in the higher bracket and even
beyond. While literary agents are open to submissions far below 90K, they will
usually lean more towards those within the requirements because they know the
devoted readers of this genre do not mind an epic read.
Historical: 100,000 to 120,000 – A genre rich with
historical events means writers are afforded the luxury of an extended
word count. However, writers who edit down to a 100k submission increase their
chances of being read beyond the partials.
Young Adult Fiction (YA): 50,000 to 80,000
– This particular genre has become one of the hardest for writers to
grasp when deciding on their own word count. This is due in large part to the
variety of sub-genres within it and the trend for a book series with an ever
greater word count. But for mainstream YA it is always best to stick to under
80K.
New Adult Fiction: 60,000 to 85,000 – Coined by the
industry for the industry meant the requirements could be defined from the
outset. Going above 85K still happens, but those for that do, they are giving a
literary agent an easy reason to reject them.
Middle Grade: 25,000 to 40,000 – Such a tight restraint
can be beneficial to a writer because it allows them to demonstrate their
ability to edit accordingly. For debut books in this field the average word
count tends to be 35K and it has therefore become the marker many industry
professionals look for in queries from new writers.
Picture Books: 500 to 700 – When this is
applied it equates to one or two lines per page, for a 30 page book. The one
main advantage this genre has over every other is that literary agents and
publishers will accept the full text with the initial query. There is no need
for partials.
Novella: 20,000 to 50,000 – A story can
be written in any of the other genres, but if its word count falls within these
parameters it is usually classified as a novella.
Non-Fiction: 70,000 to 110,000 – Covering a
broad range of topics still sees little variation in the size of published
books. Although there is not a requirement for the work to be complete before
an initial query, this is the word count literary agents want projected and
delivered.
Short Stories: 1000 to 8,000 – Many contests
will advise on their own maximum word count, sometimes as high as 20K. But
those requests are extremely rare, as the majority will set a limit of 8K.
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