Writing a Book? All About Word Count

I get a lot of questions about what the ideal word count of a book might be. The short answer – as low as possible! The longer the book, the more potential issues that might arise. The longer the book, then:

·?????The higher the likelihood that an author will lose their momentum

·?????A reader will get bored or overwhelmed and quit reading

Also, the higher the word count, the more expensive it is to print, and therefore the higher the price each copy of the book will need to sell for. In addition to not having all of the time in the world to read long books, literary agents and editors want books they can sell for the most money possible. And it is far more likely that a reader will buy a book for $9.95 instead of $25.95, let’s say. So, even if you self-publish your book, that is something to keep in mind.

With that being said, the suggested word count ranges are meant as guidelines. Don’t freak out if your self-help book is 55,000 words, or if your romance is 65,000. However, if you are writing cozy mystery and your word count is 150,000 (if ANY book is 150,000, really), know that you will have some major editing to do.

Suggested word counts:

Memoir: 80,000 – 100,000

How-to/Self-Help: 40,000 – 50,000

Science fiction and fantasy: 90,000 – 115,000

Romance: 70,000 – 100,000

Commercial and Literary Fiction: 80,000 – 100,000

Mystery, Thriller, Crime, Horror: 70,000 – 100,000

Young Adult: 60,000 – 70,000

Middle Grade: 20,000 – 55,000

Western: 45,000 – 75,000

Short Stories: 2,000 – 5,000

Do you have any questions about word count? Do you know of any exceptions to the rule(s)? Let me know in the comments below.

To you and your book!