Average Word Count in a Book
- Alex at www.bookeditingservices.co.uk
- Apr 1
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 hours ago
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Understanding the average word count for a book is an important part of planning, writing and preparing your manuscript for publication.
Whether you’re writing your first novel, a short story, or a non-fiction guide, knowing typical word count ranges helps ensure your book meets reader expectations and aligns with industry standards, especially if you’re self-publishing or submitting to agents.
How many words are in a book? See below for average word counts, page estimates and genre guidelines to help you plan your novel or non-fiction book.
Average book length and word count overview
The average word count in a book is between 60,000 and 100,000 words. Novellas are usually 20,000 to 50,000 words. Otherwise, books longer than 100k words are classed as an epic (or too long by a publisher if 120,000 words!). Whereas, fantasy / sci-fi books can be up to 150,000 words.
Below, you’ll find answers to common questions about book length, page count and word count calculations:
How many words are on the average page of a book?
How many words is a 300-page book? / How many pages in a 90,000-word novel?
How to estimate book length by word count
How long should your book be? Word count guidelines by genre
If you’re unsure whether your writing is clear, well-structured or flowing effectively, professional input can help improve sentence structure, clarity and overall readability. Find out more ►
How many words are on the average page of a book?
When writing your manuscript, there are around 250-300 words per page for the average book size.
How many words is a 300-page book? / How many pages in a 90,000-word novel?
A 90,000-word novel will equate to roughly 300 pages.
A 60,000-word novel will equate to roughly 200 pages.
A 72,000-word novel will equate to roughly 240 pages.
An 82,500-word novel will equate to roughly 275 pages.
A 120,000-word novel will equate to roughly 400 pages.
How to estimate book length by word count
If you'd like to work out the page length of your book when it's published, divide your total word count by approximately 300
7,500 words = 25 pages (short story)
20,000 words = 66 pages (novella)
40,000 words = 133 pages (self-help book)
50,000 words = 166 pages (young adult novel, for example)
75,000 words = 250 pages (average length fiction novel or memoir)
100,000 words = 333 pages (longer fiction novel)
125,000 words = 400 pages (sci-fi/fantasy novel)
How long should your book be? Word count guidelines by genre
There are always exceptions to the rules – especially for authors with a track record of sales – but to follow is a general guideline for the average word counts across books, ebooks, short stories, and more.
Picture books: The standard is 32 pages and could be one line per page, therefore a total of 350-600 words.
Flash fiction: Also known as microfiction, microstories, short-shorts, and nanofiction are usually less than 1,000 words.
Short stories: 1,000-7,500 words.
Magazine stories: 1,500-2,000 words.
Ebook: For website visitors or to subscribe to content 3,000-6,000 words.
Kindle singles: 5,000 words (short story) or 30,000 words (novella).
Novelette: A short novel, typically one that is light, romantic, sentimental, a narrative piece or prose fiction is 7,500-20,000 words.
Novella: A short novel or a long short story is between 20,000-50,000 words.
Middle grade: Ages 9-12 are 25,000-45,000 words.
Young adult novel: Ages 12-18 on average 40,000-60,000 words.
Self-help and How-to Guides: Usually 40,000-50,000 words.
Memoir: Established authors can get away with shorter word counts, but the average is 65,000-90,000 words.
Novel: Mainstream women’s, romantic, mystery, suspense, literary, thriller, and horror books are usually 60,000-90,000 words. (More recently, longer word counts of 100,000 to 120,000 are becoming more common by some publishers.)
Epic: Sci-fi and fantasy are 100,000-125,000 words (but can be up to 150,000 words).
Whilst these average word counts provide a helpful guide, the most important factor is ensuring your manuscript is complete, engaging and professionally presented. A well-structured, polished book will always have a stronger impact than one that simply meets a specific word count.
If you’re unsure whether your manuscript is the right length or needs refining, my editorial services can help ensure your book meets industry standards and is ready for publication, which can make all the difference in how your book is received by readers:
✔️ Expert proofreading corrects spelling, grammar and punctuation, ensuring your manuscript is polished and error-free before publication.
✏️ Professional editing refines your writing, enhances clarity and flow, and improves consistency – ensuring a high-quality finish that appeals to readers and strengthens credibility.
📖 Ebook formatting creates a clean, publisher-standard layout, ready to self-publish on Amazon KDP or submit to a publisher or agent.
